


(When Will My Life) Start Getting Better

by Kiminiren



Series: (When Will My Life) [2]
Category: Day6 (Band), EXO (Band), GOT7, Red Velvet (K-pop Band), SEVENTEEN (Band), SF9 (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Mulan (1998) Fusion, Alternate Universe - Tangled (2010) Fusion, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Violence, Coming of Age, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Jeon Jungkook is a troublesome kid, Mentions of Rape, Mild Gore, Min Yoongi is just trying to be the best dad he can be, Minor Character Death, Orphan Jeon Jungkook, Sad with a Happy Ending, Single Parent Min Yoongi | Suga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2019-10-03 23:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17293295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiminiren/pseuds/Kiminiren
Summary: "Things...  Things will get better.  I can't promise you that I'll be a good father to you—I don't even know what the definition of a good father is...  But I promise to love you no matter what."ORJungkook and Yoongi's side to the Tangled / Mulan AU in which a naive, long-haired Taehyung lives in a safe bubble of a tower until a runaway thief unexpectedly comes along and pops it.





	1. Intro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **PLEASE READ:** This story can be read as a stand alone, but to fully understand the entirety of this story, please read the first part of this series [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15839358/chapters/37704833#workskin)!

 

 

 

**Introduction of the Characters**

* * *

 

****

Yoongi

Lieutenant General of the Kingdom's army

 

Jungkook

Orphaned child raised by Yoongi

 

Seungwan

Doctor for the Kingdom's military

 

Namjoon

Heir to the Kingdom's throne

 

Chan

Son of the cursed Park bloodline

 

Yeri

Princess of a nearby kingdom

 

Yugyeom

Jungkook's best friend

 

Mingyu

Jungkook's bully

 

Taehyung

The usual red-head Jungkook comes to befriend

 

Sooyoung

A runaway thief turned Kingdom soldier

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _More characters may be added as the story progresses. This story ranges over eighteen years of Jungkook's and Yoongi's lives._


	2. Chapter 2

 

 

 

 

 

**PART I**

 

"Jungkookie, watch the shop for me!" his mother lightly shouts from the back of the small bakery, heaving a large sack of flour onto the counter before she dusts her hands over her apron.

 

Jungkook barely notices his mother making her way out of the store to retrieve the rest of the ingredients she'll need for the day.  He absently hums, lying on the floor.  Seven-year-old Jungkook is too preoccupied playing with his wooden action figures.

 

He'll need new toys to play with soon.  He hisses at the rough friction of the worn wood against his little soft fingers.

 

"Fear my powers, Mr. Monster!" Jungkook yells as he clashes his action figures together in the air.

 

He makes a big show of the toys fighting one another, making noises here and there to emulate the sounds of strong men struggling in combat.  Jungkook's heroic toy falls to the floor and he animatedly gasps.  The hero quickly stands on his sticks for legs and flies into the air before it attacks the monster.  A wooden limb snaps off the enemy's body and Jungkook grins in triumph.

 

Loud footsteps are heard as dark shadows dance across Jungkook's face.

 

He curiously lifts his head and watches as soldiers march in front of the windows of the bakery.  Jungkook's mouth hangs at the sight.  He hopes to be as big and strong as those men someday, _but I hate eating vegetables, and soldiers can be scary sometimes._

 

Jungkook knows what soldiers do, they can save people but they can also kill if they need to.  Jungkook also knows the Sevens are bad and the soldiers that fight for the villages around the Kingdom are good.  He holds onto that thought every day, but the sight of thick blood and the sounds of contending swords cloud his young judgment.

 

Being exposed to violence like that is unfortunately very common for a child his age, especially in the small village he lives in, and it always scares Jungkook.

 

He gently places his toys on the floor and he slowly stands, unaware that the soldiers can't hear or see his movements, before he bolts for the back of the shop.  Jungkook rounds the long counter and runs through the door of the kitchen when his head unexpectedly bumps into his mother's stomach.

 

"Oh!" she says in surprise as Jungkook barely wraps his little arms around her legs.  She can barely see her son under the large box she's holding and she lightly laughs at that.  She twists her upper body, careful not jostle Jungkook, and places the box on a nearby table before she places a hand on Jungkook's back and tenderly runs the other through his black hair.  "My baby, what's wrong?"

 

Jungkook fists his hands into his mother's long skirt and scrunches his eyes closed.  "Soldiers," he mumbles into her clothes.

 

"It's the Sevens!" a soldier's muffled yell announces from outside.  "The village is being invaded!"

 

Suddenly, two figures burst through the back door of the kitchen and Jungkook screams.  He catches a glimpse of a Kingdom soldier wrestling against a Seven on the floor before his mother hurriedly ushers him into the front room of the bakery.

 

"Jungkook, I need you to listen to me," his mother shakily says as she closes the door behind them.  She kneels before him, cupping her slender fingers over his small shoulders.  "I-I need you to run and don't you dare stop for anything, do you understand me?" she tells him.

 

Jungkook's eyes grow wide in fear.  "No, mommy, I wanna stay with you!"

 

He can hear the violent sounds of sharp metal cutting through thick skin and his toes go numb as the noises in the kitchen suddenly stop.

 

His mother frantically looks between Jungkook and the door.  She quickly wipes a stray tear from her cheek before she intently looks Jungkook in the eyes.  "Go straight home and hide under the hatch, okay?  Just like we practiced," she quickly whispers before she leans in to kiss his hair.  "Stay as quiet as you can until I come for you.  Can you do that for me, baby, hm?"

 

Jungkook briskly nods his head.  He doesn't want to leave his mother, but he doesn't want to disobey her either.

 

So he runs.

 

He runs as fast as his little legs can carry him. 

 

His lungs burn from exertion as his feet carry him through the village, which is in pure chaos.  Everyone is running every which way and everything is way too loud.

 

Jungkook can see angry soldiers with their swords held high.  He can see the ghostly shadows of the Sevens as they emerge from the tree line. 

 

But he doesn't look back to the bakery, just like his mother told him to.

 

Jungkook runs to the edge of the village and throws the door to his home open, slamming the wooden door closed behind him before he runs to the kitchen and crawls under the table.  His hands shake as he fumbles with the metal latch to the hatch.  Jungkook glances back to the entrance of his house, the sounds of fighting growing closer.

 

He finally opens the hatch and drops down into the stark darkness of the cellar, hurting his ankle from the height of the fall.  He clenches his teeth together to keep from screaming aloud as he clutches his injured ankle.

 

He wants his mother so badly.

 

_"Hide under the hatch, okay?  Stay as quiet as you can until I come for you.  Can you do that for me?"_

 

Jungkook then scrambles up the steps of the cellar and closes the hatch just as the door to the house bursts open, and everything goes pitch-black.  He half-falls back down the steps and scurries to the side of the small room.  He pushes himself up against the wall, trying to make himself as small as possible. 

 

Jungkook sits there, pupils blown wide due to the darkness surrounding him and he heavily breathing through the pain in his lower leg before he hears heavy footsteps above him.  He gasps and cups his hands over his mouth.

 

"Seems like no one's here," a deep voice comments.  "We probably won't even have to set fire to this place."

 

"Like hell, we won't," another voice says in disagreement.  "Chan told us to."

 

The deep voice then scoffs.  "Chan isn't our leader, he's just a kid!  We don't have to do what he—"

 

"His father just died, so he's the next in command!" the other seethes.  "Do you wanna end up like Jongin?  Huh?  Got his freakin' throat slit right in front of everyone because he disobeyed Chan's orders."

 

Another pair of footsteps come fleeting in as the soft crackling of fire is heard.

 

"No!" Jungkook's mother yells.

 

"Kill her!"

 

Jungkook screams for his mother, but it runs faint to the sound of his mother struggling against the two Sevens.  Jungkook squeezes his eyes closed and clenches his fists, the throbbing pain in his ankle long forgotten as the muffled sounds of fighting and his mother's screams leak through the cracks of the hatch.

 

_No, no, no, please—_

 

Everything suddenly goes quiet as Jungkook's mother's dead body slumps to the floor.  The heavy footsteps fade away as the sound of the flames engulfing the house grow louder.

 

Jungkook whines out loud when knows the Sevens are gone.  He climbs the steps with some difficulty and he reaches for the hatch. The metal handle burns his fingers and Jungkook cries out in pain.  He falls down the steps and smacks his head against the floor of the cellar.

 

He lamely lies on the cool ground, too weak to move, as he silently stares at the orange and yellow dancing above the cracks of the hatch.  Jungkook blinks his eyes _one, two, three_ times before his body grows heavy with sleep.

 

The last time Jungkook opens his eyes he hopes his mother will come down the steps to hold him, to kiss his fears away, but she never does, and he falls into the abyss of unconsciousness.

 

 

 

 

 

Yoongi yawns.  He straightens his back and flexes his sore ankles.  For a thirty-one-year-old man, he feels like his body is turning into a fifty-year-old elder.

 

He dismounts his horse and stands at the entrance of a burned down village.  He places his hands over his hips and he deeply sighs.  Another village burned, another village destroyed by the Sevens.

 

Yoongi tries to think of the village's name, _Busang, Busoon_ —he can't think straight right now, everything's running together and he's barely gotten any sleep for the last three days.  He's been through too many villages and on too many rescue missions to remember their names.

 

The clouds hanging over him appear to be agitated with red and dark-orange hues.  Yoongi idly kicks at the charred rubble under his feet.   _This all started because of that God-forsaken wall_ , Yoongi thinks. 

 

The wall was built during the time of King Namjoon's grandfather's reign.  The purpose of the wall was to keep foreigners out and keep commerce within the country.  Many people opposed the idea of building a concrete wall around the small country, but many others agreed that it should be built when it came time to protect the land from a plague that was going around at the time.

 

A whole generation, including the King, was killed by the fatal disease.  Vaccines have been produced but the rate of dying after coming in contact with the plague is still alarmingly high.  After a few years, the Kingdom had gotten control of the disease, but the Park family line from a nearby island has become the main carrier of the plague.

 

Yoongi felt sorry for that family line when he first heard about it in one of his classes for school.  His young friends at the time told him to stay away from anyone with the surname Park, leaving those with that last name to be made fun of or picked on, even if everyone knew those lies weren't true.

 

Ever since Yoongi became the General Lieutenant of the Kingdom's army, he tried to use his power to convince the King to do something about the wall, to create some kind of cure, but no doctor from the Kingdom is willing to go the island and Namjoon's father wouldn't budge. 

 

Yoongi can tell by the graying hairs at the top of the King's head that he too wants to do something about the wall even though it is already built, but a new rebellious group from the Park bloodline called the Sevens is now randomly attacking villages near the wall's border. 

 

Yoongi wants to find out why.  He hopes the King's son takes his reign soon because at least he seems like he's willing to investigate in the name Kingdom.

 

Yoongi is abruptly brought out of his thoughts when his horse suddenly neighs in distress.  "Hey, girl, you're okay," he says as he tries to calm the horse, but before he can rub his fingers through her thick mane, she unexpectedly bounds down the dirt road in the middle of the village.

 

Yoongi furrows his eyebrows in concern.  He's had this steed for years now, she's usually calm and collected, so he doesn't know why she has suddenly run off without him.

 

"Lieutenant General, are you alright?" one of his comrades call out.

 

"Yeah," Yoongi huffs, already walking after his horse.  "Everything's fine.  I'll go check the other side of the village while I'm heading over there."

 

Yoongi's horse is a bright white, so it isn't hard to spot it against the charred wooden houses near the edge of the village.  His horse stands inside a completely burned down house.  The only thing left is the foundation and bits of burnt furniture.

 

The horse neighs loudly, stomping its feet against the wood flooring.

 

"Hey, girl, what has gotten into you today?" Yoongi asks as he nears the horse.  He stops in his tracks when the horse stomps again, but instead the sound of the horse's hooves hitting wood, they hit metal.

 

Yoongi squints his eyes, spotting metal shyly peeking through bits of dark debris.  He squats and brushes away the pieces of burnt wood and realizes that there's a metal hatch sitting in the middle of the house. 

 

He stands and grabs the horse by its billet strap and gently maneuvers it away from the hatch so he has better access to it.  "I know how much of a greedy girl you are, Moon," Yoongi points a finger at the horse with a playfully stern look.  "You better not be sniffing for food because I _just_ fed you."

 

The horse huffs in mock defense at her owner's face and Yoongi rolls his eyes.

 

Yoongi squats down before the hatch again and curves his pale fingers under the latch before he flips it open.  At first, Yoongi sees nothing but darkness and he almost pushes it off as an empty cellar, but then he hears...   _Is that someone crying?_ Yoongi slowly descends the stairs at the sound, the wooden planks creaking under his boots with every step.

 

Jungkook is there, still lying at the bottom of the stairs on his back from the fall, absently crying because he doesn't know what else to do.  He hazily blinks his eyes open.  He whimpers at the sight of a black silhouette against a yellow sky making its way towards him. 

 

Jungkook should be scared.  He should be running away, but he's too weak to move.  

 

_What if it's another Seven?  Where's mommy?_

 

"Are you alright?" Yoongi calmly calls out to him.  He reaches the bottom of the stairs, careful not to step on Jungkook's body.

 

Jungkook fists the thin fabric of his pants and quietly sniffles, his head feels dizzy.  "A-are you a Seven?"

 

"Look at my eyes, kid," Yoongi sighs and squats next to Jungkook, resting his elbows on his thighs and bending his head over so the boy can clearly see him.  "My eyes are brown like yours, not yellow like a Seven's."

 

Jungkook looks the man intently in the man's eyes, no traces of glowing yellow can be seen and Jungkook breathes a little easier at that.  He briefly closes his eyes in relief.  He suddenly feels tired.

 

Yoongi takes time to really look at the little boy now that his eyes have adjusted to the darkness of the cellar.  The child looks pretty clean, Yoongi sees no fatal injuries on the child, but Yoongi does suspect that the boy has a mild concussion since his eyes look a little foggy.

 

"Yah, hey, kid," Yoongi snaps his fingers to get the child's attention.  "Don't fall asleep, okay?  How about you tell me your name."

 

The little boy flinches as the sudden sound.  "Jeon Jungkook," he eventually supplies.

 

"Nice to meet you, I'm Lieutenant General Min Yoongi," he introduces himself before he looks around the small cellar.  It seems to just be one room, but Yoongi still has to ask, "Are you the only one in here, Jungkook?  Can you tell me what happened to you?"

 

Jungkook lazily nods his head.  "The Sevens attacked the village and...  I ran here.  There...there was a fire and my mommy, she—did you see my mommy up there?  She told me not to make a sound until she came down for me.  Did you rescue her, too?"

 

Yoongi looks at his hands and clears his throat.  He was never good at giving bad news.  Yoongi can't tell Jungkook that he suspects the charred bones are resting just above their heads is his mother's,  but Yoongi has to tell him the truth.  "Your mother is dead, Jungkook," he tells him straight.

 

Jungkook's bottom lip quivers at that.  _That can't be true, that can't be true!_ "B-but you're a soldier!  Soldiers are supposed to keep people safe!" he bawls.

 

His mother is— _was_ all he had.  Who's going to kiss him good morning, who's going to sing to him when he has nightmares, who's going to hug him when he comes home from school? 

 

A wave of nausea overcomes Jungkook and he rolls over on his side, emptying his stomach on the wooden floor.

 

Yoongi lets the boy be for a while and only moves to help the boy through his episode when the half-digested food from Jungkook's stomach turns to clear bile.  He rolls Jungkook back over and wipes at the boy's mouth with the bottom of his shirt. 

 

"I'm very sorry, Jungkook," Yoongi sadly says.  He cautiously pulls Jungkook up with him as he stands.  He feels Jungkook's arms curl around his neck and Yoongi slips one arm under the child's bottom as he gently holds the back of Jungkook's head with his other hand.

 

Yoongi tells Jungkook to close his eyes as soon as they're out of the confines of the cellar.  He can't let Jungkook see the destroyed state of the village.  No child should see the place they once grew up in such a state of disarray.

 

Yoongi quickly calls for a wagon when reaches the entrance of the village, his horse following closely.  He ignores the curious stares from his fellow soldiers as he walks.  All Yoongi cares about right now is getting Jungkook to safety.

 

He moves his hands under Jungkook's small armpits, attempting to place him on one of the cushioned seats in the wagon, but the little boy clinging to his body just _won't let go_.  Yoongi finds the boy's attempts to stay connected to Yoongi at all costs to be a little cute, but this is all new for Yoongi.

 

Yoongi sighs and sits inside the wagon, quickly maneuvering Jungkook onto his lap before he can start whining again.  Yoongi pulls the door's handle to close it shut and the cabin the wagon is filled with stark silence as the driver hops on his seat outside and slaps the reins over his horse's back.

 

Jungkook's body is so warm against Yoongi's.  Jungkook's hands are so much more smaller than his.  Jungkook whimpers when the wheels of the wagon hit a bump on the dirt road and Yoongi instinctively wraps his arms around him.

 

 _This is strange_ , Yoongi thinks.  He hasn't even thought about kids, but he feels strangely connected to Jungkook.  Yoongi doesn't even have a wife, let alone a girlfriend, and his parents live miles away.

 

"You should let a nearby orphanage take care of him," a social worker tells him when they reach camp.  Yoongi immediately denies that.  For some unknown reason, he can't let Jungkook go. 

 

He runs his fingers through Jungkook's dark hair later that night and the child leans into the soft contact.  Yoongi sits in a daze as Jungkook sleeps in his bed. 

 

What is he about to do with a child?  How is he going to take of Jungkook?  How is he going to balance his life with a child that isn't even his?

 

 

 

 

 

Yoongi jolts out of his chair at the sound of screaming.  He finds Jungkook on the floor crying his eyes out.  Jungkook eyes are closed tight, the shape of his corneas repeatedly run from left to right behind his eyelids.

 

Yoongi has no idea what to do, but he _does_ know that it's a bad idea to wake people out of their nightmares.

 

"Mom...  Mommy!" Jungkook wails in his sleep.  He violently shakes his head, "No n-no... P-please!"

 

Yoongi all but sprints to the nearest medical tent as panic runs through his veins.  Yoongi curses at himself for leaving Jungkook alone, but he can't handle this by himself right now.  He throws the door open to the tent, almost slamming his hands against a table to keep himself upright.

 

Seungwan, the only female doctor in the camp, flinches and turns around in her seat, her round glasses hanging at the bottom of the bridge of her nose.  "Lieutenant General, you scared me," she closes her journal and stands from her chair.  "What's the matter?"

 

Yoongi heavily breathes and looks to the piles upon piles of books on the doctor's table.  "Seungwan, I'm sorry for interrupting your studies, but I need your help—it's the boy," he says too quickly, throwing all formalities out the window.  "H-He's crying and screaming—I-I don't know what to do."

 

Seungwan wordlessly grabs her medical kit and walks towards Yoongi, and Yoongi takes that as a cue to guide her back to his tent.  He holds the entrance of his tent open for the doctor and they find Jungkook in the same state as he was in before Yoongi went out seeking for help.

 

Yoongi crosses his arms and keeps his distance as Seungwan kneels to her knees before Jungkook.  She silently looks over his writhing form before she carefully gathers the little boy in her arms, forgetting about her medical kit completely. 

 

Jungkook instantly calms as he rests his head against her breasts. 

 

Seungwan softly beats Jungkook's chest with one hand as she secures her other arm beneath his back.  She begins to sway, rocking Jungkook back and forth until he stops crying.

 

"What did you just do?" Yoongi asks out of amazement.

 

Seungwan sadly smiles down at Jungkook and wipes at the raven baby hairs clinging to his damp forehead.  She looks at Yoongi over the rim of her big glasses and quietly says, "I heard a few soldiers talking.  His mother died during the attack this morning, right?  What's his name?"

 

"Yeah," Yoongi says distantly.  He prods at his bottom lip with his thumb.  "His name is Jungkook.  Found him in that Busan village a few miles south from here.  He was the only survivor."

 

"Poor thing."  Seungwan begins to hum a sweet tune as she sways.  Jungkook reduces to a soft sniffle now and again, Yoongi sighs in relief at that.

 

"How's your family?" Yoongi suddenly asks against the silence.  "...Been a while since I asked."

 

"They're good," Seungwan quietly giggles at the unexpected question.  "They want me to come back home, which is nothing new.  But I love the work I'm doing here," she peers her eyes to Yoongi and smiles before she says, "Working with you isn't as bad as I thought it would be either."

 

Yoongi softly chuckles at, relaxing his shoulders.  

 

The Yoongi and Seungwan have known each other for almost a year now.  They grew into good friends rather quickly, considering Yoongi's track record of staying away from women like the plague due to certain events with his last girlfriend.  Something about Seungwan intrigues Yoongi as no other woman has before. 

 

Maybe it's the way she looks in those huge glasses when she's studying.  Maybe it's the way she smiles when they accidentally bump into each other in the dining hall after breakfast.  Maybe it's the way she stands so close to him when they're talking.  Maybe it's the way she—

 

"Yoongi," Seungwan pulls him from his thoughts.  She raises her eyebrows in silent question.

 

"It's nothing," Yoongi tells her, clearing his throat and shyly scratching the back of his neck.  "You're just great at what you do, is all." 

 

Yoongi could either be referring to the way she handled Jungkook or the way she makes his heart beat a little faster.

 

"I think he's asleep now.  We should put him back to bed," Seungwan informs Yoongi.

 

Yoongi cautiously takes Jungkook from her arms, careful not to wake the small boy as Yoongi places him on the bed.  Seungwan moves to pull the covers over Jungkook's body as he shuffles to his side.  Jungkook sleepily buries his little nose under the covers and Seungwan runs her fingers through his hair.

 

Yoongi thinks she looks so natural with kids.  He shakes his head before his mind drifts away to a fantasized future.

 

Seungwan bends over to pick up her medical and Yoongi follows her out of his tent.  She turns to him and hesitantly opens her mouth before she closes it.  "What are you going to do?  Are you going to take him to an orphanage?" she asks eventually. 

 

"I've been thinking about it," Yoongi huffs as he stuffs his hands into his pockets.  "But I just can't give him up like that.  You should've seen the look on his face when I found him in that cellar.  And his mother—no child should go through that kind of loss at such an early age like that."

 

Seungwan sadly nods her head in agreement.  "So you're going to raise him...  I'm not doubting you in any way by saying this, but are you ready for that kind of commitment?  Raising a child isn't a walk in the park, Yoongi." 

 

"I know, I know.  I'm gonna talk to a social worker soon and figure things out," he tiredly runs a hand through his hair.  "He lost everything, Wannie.  I just...can't shake this feeling that he needs me."

 

Seungwan cracks a small smile at that.  "Maybe _you're_ the one that needs _him_."

 

Yoongi lets out an airy laugh at that.  Sure, Yoongi is known to be a cold person and he keeps strict, professional relationships with his soldiers, but that's just the way Yoongi _is_.  "You say the strangest things, Seungwan."

 

"That doesn't make you like me any less, does it, Lieutenant General Min?" she lightly jokes.

 

"No, Doctor Son," Yoongi dumbly grins as steps forward.  _Nothing could ever make me like you less._ "Let me walk you back to your tent."

 

Seungwan places a gentle hand on Yoongi's chest to stop him, "I know my way, Yoongi."  She lightly pats his chest with a small smile before she bids him goodnight.

 

Yoongi's heart races after Seungwan but his feet stay planted to the ground as the doctor disappears around the corner.  Yoongi his hand over where Seungwan just had hers, still feeling the trace of warmth through the cloth of his shirt.

 

He looks to the moon.  That bright sphere hanging in the air reminds him of himself.  Lonely at night and lingering near the sun in the morning, trying to find a hint of warmth in the void he's found himself in.

 

 

 

Yoongi lays in a separate cot he pulls out later that night.  He'll have a busy day tomorrow tracking the whereabouts of the Sevens and worrying about Jungkook.  He rolls onto his back after casting his last glance to Jungkook's sleeping figure in his bed.

 

_"Maybe you're the one that needs him."_

 

Maybe Yoongi will realize what that will mean for him tomorrow, maybe he won't figure out until years down the road.  But for now, he'll sleep and see what the sun will bring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**PART II**

 

"Why do you care?!  You're never here!  I hate you!" 

 

An angry Jungkook slams the door to the house before Yoongi can continue to berate him for his bad behavior at school.  

 

It's been two years since Yoongi adopted Jungkook, and almost a year since Prince Taehyung had been unexpectedly kidnapped from the Kingdom on a late summer's night.  Since the Sevens had gone quiet and King Namjoon made his lost son a top priority for his military, Yoongi was a part of those unsuccessful missions.  He'd come home late and feeling frustrated from the failed attempts to find the King and Queen's son.  

 

Yoongi stands up and opens his mouth to yell after the boy, but nothing but a long, tired breath escapes his lips.  He turns around and slams a fist down on his dining table. 

 

Jungkook just never listens to him.  He likes to act out and make rash decisions, but Yoongi can't blame him.  He can't imagine what goes on in Jungkook's mind along with the trauma he holds.  

 

Yoongi feels sorry that he hasn't been there for Jungkook over the longs months.  He's still trying to get a handle over being a soldier  _and_  a father.  

 

The door swings back open and Yoongi doesn't even bother to turn his head towards the sound.  He undoubtedly knows whom those footsteps belong to.

 

"Is he throwing another fit?" Seungwan asks as she enters Yoongi's home.  She walks into his kitchen, throwing a small smile at Yoongi before she picks up a chair she suspects Jungkook pushed over.  

 

"When is he not," Yoongi scoffs, his anger partially fading at the doctor's arrival.  

 

"Don't run after him this time," Seungwan sighs as she stands, placing the chair upright on its legs.  She places a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Let him clear out his head on his own."  

 

Yoongi bends over to pick the strewn bits of Jungkook's untouched breakfast just as Seungwan kneels down to do the same.  Both of their hands' touch just over the broken pieces of porcelain and Yoongi pulls his hand back as if he'd touched fire.  

 

"Sorry," they both say at the same time.  

 

"I got this, Seungwan.  Why don't you go sit down," Yoongi jerks his chin towards the sofa sitting on the other side of the open living area.  He grabs a dishcloth from the sink and begins to clean up the broken plate.  "A guest shouldn't clean messes, but you always end up doing so when you're over here."

 

"You know me," Seungwan bashfully laughs and shrugs her shoulders as she makes her way out of the kitchen.  "I like to help wherever I can."

 

A comfortable silence rests between them as Yoongi continues to clean.  Seungwan begins to quietly hum to herself as she makes herself at home.  Yoongi shuffles under the table a bit to reach for a few stray shards before his eyes flicker over to the movement of Seungwan crossing her legs.  The thought of them being domestic warms Yoongi's heart.  He shakes his head as he stands to deposit the broken porcelain into a trash bin.

 

"So what happened this time?" Seungwan asks as Yoongi's head reappears from under the dining table.

 

"I received a disciplinary letter from his teacher yesterday," Yoongi sighs as he wets the dishcloth in the kitchen sink.  "Jungkook got into an argument with one of his classmates during school today.  'It got a little physical', the teacher said."

 

"I'm guessing that's how he got that bruise on his chin."

 

"Yeah," is all Yoongi says before he gets back down on his knees to scrub away at the reminiscence of Jungkook's outburst.  The harsh friction of the dishcloth against a wooden floor expresses the depth of Yoongi's internal anguish.

 

"Yoon—"

 

"You know what," Yoongi bitterly laughs.  "I've been raising Jungkook for two years now, and he chooses  _now_  to shut to me out."  He scrubs at the floor with more force, agitated that at the blueberry jam that's staining the wood.  "I'm glad he's talking to his therapist, but I would like to know what goes on in his head, too—ah!" 

 

A stray splinter finds its way under Yoongi's skin and he abruptly stands, clutching his injured finger as he irritably grunts. 

 

"God, this hurts worse than a paper cut!"

 

Seungwan is by his side in an instant, already worrying over Yoongi as she pries his fingers open to examine the damage.  She rolls his hand over and finds a fine piece of wood buried just beneath the cuticle in his ring finger.

 

"You are never any use when you're angry, Min Yoongi," she scolds him before she walks to the nearest bathroom to get a pair of tweezers.

 

Yoongi lets his shoulders slump in defeat, "I don't know what to do, Seungwan.  He instantly closes himself off when our conversations get even a little serious."

 

"Maybe he's feeling a little distrust with you right now," Seungwan calmly reasons as she ushers them to sit down at the kitchen table.  "You've been gone most nights with the search parties, you two barely get to see each other nowadays."

 

Yoongi can understand that, but he can't really do anything when it comes to his job. 

 

"I know this is bad to say, but—" Yoongi pauses to brace himself for any kind of pain as Seungwan inches the tweezers over his finger.

 

Seungwan pulls out the splinter in a swift motion.  She almost laughs at the way Yoongi has his eyes squeezed shut and how his shoulders are almost touching the ceiling.  "But you're going to say it anyway," she finishes his sentence.  

 

Yoongi cracks his eyes open and curiously looks at the barely-visible hole in his cuticle.  He bends his ring finger as if to make sure it still works.  "Oh, wow, that wasn't that bad.  Thank you," he says in relief.

 

"Yoongi, you've had plenty of stitches.  That shouldn't have been as big as a deal as you just made it," Seungwan scoffs.  She sets the tweezers down before she props her elbow on the table and rests her chin the palm of her hand.  "You were saying?"

 

Yoongi rolls his eyes at that.  "I'm hoping this meeting the King is holding puts an end to the search parties.  I know the prince is important to the Kingdom, but he's been gone for a  _whole_  year, Seungwan.  All the soldiers are growing restless from being away from their families," Yoongi exhales as runs his other hand through his hair, "Including me," he then tiredly adds. 

 

He really misses spending his days off with Jungkook.  Yoongi would never openly admit it to her face, but he misses Seungwan, too.  The scientists are always huddled together in their makeshift laboratory tents or making rounds to houses around the Kingdom.

 

Yoongi hopes they find the Prince soon, but for all he knows, the child could be dead.

 

A few beats of silence pass before Yoongi turns his head towards Seungwan.  "We have that meeting at the Palace tomorrow."

 

"All of the doctors are expected to be in attendance, too," Seungwan tells him.

 

Yoongi raises an eyebrow at that.  "What for?  Namjoon will probably request another search party from the soldiers, that has nothing to do with your work."

 

Seungwan shrugs her shoulders, "I don't know.  I only met the King and Queen when I first got assigned here, it'll be nice to be in their presence again."  She crosses her legs and leans over the table a bit, "Do you think I need to dress up?  I don't really have anything nice to wear, but—"

 

"You'll be fine, Wannie" Yoongi waves her off.  "Just wear that lab coat you always have on, you always look nice in it," he rambles before he can stop himself.  

 

Seungwan smugly blushes at that before she stands, straightening her long skirt.  "I'll be sure to wear it then, since Lieutenant General Min thinks I look pretty in uniform," she teases.

 

"I never said you looked pretty, I said you looked  _nice_ ," Yoongi says flatly, trying to hide the flustered crack in his voice.

 

"But I know what you were implying, Yoongi," Seungwan sing-songs as she skips to the door.  She pulls the handle and winks before she disappears behind the door, leaving behind a mildly confound Yoongi.

 

 

 

 

 

Jungkook stomps through town. 

 

He angrily kicks at the loose pebbles along the street.  He can handle his teacher not believing him, but Yoongi didn't have to question him like a convict.  He turns to look over his shoulder, checking if Yoongi will come after him, and he's relieved when he doesn't see anyone following him.

 

No one ever understands him, and that Mingyu boy always picks on him for not having a mother.  Everyone makes fun of Jungkook, but Mingyu really gets under his skin.  When the cobblestone street turns to grass and dirt, he makes sure to smush a certain dandelion that reminds him of his bully under his shoe.

 

"Hey, look, guys, it's the orphan," a kid calls out from behind him.

 

"Leave me alone," Jungkook says without stopping.  He knows it's Mingyu and his friends.  Jungkook was looking forward to being alone this afternoon.  

 

 _Just act like they're not there and they'll leave you alone_ , Jungkook reasons in his mind, but the three pairs of footsteps behind him keep following.

 

"Yah, Jeon Jungkook!  We're talking to you!" Mingyu calls out.  "Are you deaf now or what?" he laughs along with his friends.

 

Jungkook shakes his head as he walks through the lot of barns that line the edge of town and he jumps the fence when reaches an empty pasture, ignoring the mean names being thrown at his back.  He cautiously minds the huge piles of cow manure before he jumps over another fence to disappear through the treeline.

 

He begins to walk a little faster, trying to find his hideout before Mingyu and his friends can find him.  He makes a sharp turn, ducking below a half-fallen tree before he starts to run.  The boys behind him pick up speed, too.

 

"Just leave me alone!" Jungkook shouts over his shoulder.  He feels a sharp tug on his collar before his back finds the ground.

 

"And why would I do that?" Mingyu mockingly asks as Jungkook quickly picks himself back up.  Mingyu licks as his busted upper lip, "How about we finish that fight we started today, huh?"

 

Mingyu obviously wants to get Jungkook back for throwing the last punch before their little scuffle got broken up.  Mingyu's lackeys smile menacingly on either side of him.

 

Seeing no way out, Jungkook plants his feet and raises his fists just level with his chin.  Mingyu suddenly swings his left arm and Jungkook ducks his head just in time to get the upper hand, landing a sharp punch to Mingyu's already busted lip and knocking Mingyu on his butt.

 

Mingyu looks up at Jungkook then, his hand holding his ripped lip with tears in eyes.  "What are you doing?!" he sobs to his friends, "G-Get him!!"

 

Jungkook's wide eyes flicker between the blood spilling from Mingyu's mouth and his lackeys stalking towards him. 

 

"You're gonna pay for that, orphan boy!"

 

Jungkook raises his hands in defense.  He may have learned a few things about combat from Yoongi, but there's no way he can take on the two boys at once. 

 

He backs away from their advances with slow steps.  "W-wait—"

 

Jungkook's ankle catches on a tree's thick root and he stumbles backward, landing on his back before the forest floor is suddenly pulled out from under him. 

 

Jungkook goes plummeting down an abandoned well and he hits the ground with a hard thud.  Air is all too quickly pulled out of his lungs against the impact and Jungkook haphazardly wheezes, trying to regain his breath as his eyes see stars.

 

" _Woah, where did he go?_ "

 

" _Oh my God, do you think he's dead?!_ "

 

" _You idiots, c'mon!  Let's get out of here!_ "

 

Jungkook eyes dart around his surroundings.  He can't see a thing, save for the dim light at the top of the dry well. 

 

His breathing starts to quicken. 

 

Everything is starting to look a lot like that day his mother died.

 

Jungkook squeezes his eyes shut and he clenches his fists in panic.  It's getting harder for him to breathe.  Mingyu and his friends are long forgotten as the muffled sounds of his mother's screams leak through the opening of the well.

 

_No, no, no, please—_

 

Everything suddenly goes quiet as the fleeting footsteps fade away and the sound of the crackling flames engulfing the well grows louder in Jungkook ears.

 

"Y-Yoongi!  Please!" his sobs echo through the empty well.  "H-Help me!"

 

Jungkook lies there on the cool ground, growing too weak to move as his lungs begin to constrict.  His eyes fling open and his cries at the sight of orange and yellow dancing above the well. 

 

Jungkook's vision begins to grow dimmer and he blinks his eyes  _one, two, three_  times before his body decides to shut down to put him out of misery.

 

The last time Jungkook opens his eyes he hopes to see Yoongi will come down the well to hold him, to take his fears away, but he never does, and Jungkook falls into the abyss of unconsciousness.

 

 

 

 

 

" _—kook!  Jungkook, are you out here!_ "

 

Jungkook jolts awake at the sound of Yoongi's voice.  Jungkook sits up and he instantly regrets it as his head screams at him.  

 

"Can _you hear me, son?_ "

 

"I'm down here!" Jungkook cries.  He's starting to panic again. 

 

He can't see a thing.  He must have been knocked out for a while, his pupils are blown wide due to the absence of the sun leaking through the well. 

 

Yoongi's heavy footsteps grow closer before a lantern hangs above the well, dimly lighting the shaft. 

 

Yoongi peeks his head over and his eyes instantly focus on Jungkook's tear-stained ones.  "Hold on.  I'm gonna throw a rope over and I want you to hold on to it so I can pull you up.  Do you understand?"

 

"Y-Yes," Jungkook says weakly.

 

A rope falls down the well and Jungkook grabs for it, using all his might to cling to it as Yoongi pulls him up.  Jungkook is quick to fall into Yoongi's arms as soon as he's out. 

 

"Woah, hey, hey, hey.  You're okay," Yoongi coos at the shaken boy. 

 

He falls on his butt and spreads his legs to make room for Jungkook as he sits on his knees before Yoongi.  Yoongi's heart breaks.  He should've followed after Jungkook. 

 

Yoongi cradles one hand over Jungkook's dark hair as his other holds Jungkook against his chest.   "You're alright.  I'm right here, Kook."

 

"Dad," Jungkook bawls into Yoongi's neck.  "I-I was so scared," he wraps arms tighter around Yoongi, "Mingyu and his friends—they followed me a-and they tried to fight me!"

 

"I know, I know," Yoongi assures him.  His heart warms at Jungkook calling him dad for the first time in months.  "They won't bother you anymore.  They came by the headquarters in town a few minutes ago and they told me the whole story when I told them I'm your dad."

 

Jungkook wipes his nose on Yoongi's shoulder and Yoongi lets him.

 

"Why didn't they know I'm your dad, Jungkook," Yoongi placidly says as hold the boy closer.

 

"I couldn't—they wouldn't stop making fun of me," Jungkook eventually gets out between sobs.

 

"What do they say to you, hm?"

 

"T-They call me an orphan...  A-And other mean names!"

 

"Jungkook," Yoongi sighs as he runs calming fingers through the younger boy's hair.  "You know that's not true."  He gently pulls Jungkook's face back and he sees the saddest face in the world.  He doesn't understand how Jungkook can be desolate and charming at the same time, but he always manages to pull Yoongi's heartstrings.  "Who do I say you are?"

 

Jungkook wipes at his eyes.  "You say I'm strong."

 

"Yes," Yoongi encourages him.  "And what does Doctor Son say you are?"

 

"S-She tells me I'm handsome," Jungkook timidly says, a hint of pink bashfulness blossoming over his cheeks.  "A-And that I'm really smart."

 

"I think that's a good combination of positive names.  And I'm sure your mother thought the  _whole_  world of you," Yoongi tells Jungkook with confidence.  "Beats whatever names those boys choose to call you."

 

Jungkook sniffs and nods his head.

 

Yoongi tilts his head.  "Jungkook, who do you think you are?"

 

 

_"Orphan Jeon Jungkook," the social worker calls from her desk._

 

_Yoongi takes Jungkook's small hand in his as they approach the desk.  "Jesus, don't call him that, Hani.  Is this how you all do things around here?"_

 

_"Just keeping formalities, Lieutenant General, " she boredly yawns as she flips through a few files._

 

_"Yoongi," a younger Jungkook tugs on the older's hand.  "What are we doing here?  I'm hungry."_

 

_"I'm adopting you, Jungkook," Yoongi simply says as he lets go of the child's hand in favor of leaning over to sign the adoption papers.  "I can hear your tummy talking, I'll get you something to eat soon," he smiles down at him._

 

_"What does 'adopting' mean?"_

 

_Yoongi squats down in front of Jungkook, "It means I'm your father now," before Jungkook begins to reject the idea, Yoongi speaks up again, "I'm not taking you away from your mother.  It just means I'm taking care of you now...  Is that okay with you?"_

 

_Yoongi should have asked that before they went to the courthouse, but then again, this is new territory for both of them._

 

_Jungkook nods, slight apprehension in his eyes, but Yoongi knows he's made the right decision when Jungkook sends him a toothy grin._

 

 

"It's okay if you don't know who you are right now, that'll come with time, but, Jungkook, you have to let me and whoever else you're willing to let in  _in_ ," Yoongi tells him.  "I promise I'll always be there to help you fight your battles, you just have to let me in and tell me what's going on so I can understand you better.  I can't bring a stick to a sword fight, son,"  Yoongi smirks gently.

 

Jungkook smiles at that.  Another tear runs down his cheek and Yoongi is quick to catch it.

 

"I know things have been hard for you with me gone all the time, but," Yoongi pauses to take Jungkook's hands in his, "Things...  Things will get better.  I can't promise you that I'll be a good father to you—I don't even know what the definition of a good father is...  But I promise to love you no matter what.  So you can keep calling me Yoongi or you can call me dad, my love won't change for you.  Do you understand?"

 

Jungkook nods his head.  "I understand."

 

 

 

 

 

Yoongi sends a happier Jungkook to school the next morning after a nice conversation after breakfast.  He may be a little shaken up from yesterday's events, but the walls Jungkook temporarily built against Yoongi seem to be falling down.  

 

He showers, brushes his teeth, and pulls his growing hair into a bun.  A few strands of hair hang at the nape of Yoongi's neck, but he isn't bothered by them.  He'll never admit it out loud, but he's secretly growing out his hair because Seungwan told him he looks good with long hair.

 

He cleans his room and checks over Jungkook's before he makes his way out his house and down to the military's headquarters in the middle of town. 

 

Yoongi pulls the large door open and greets his fellow comrades.  He looks for Seungwan around the floor level of the building, but he doesn't see her anywhere, he doesn't see any of the other doctors or scientists either.  They both agreed they'd walk together to the meeting at the Palace.  _Surely she didn't forget_ , Yoongi thinks. 

 

"The doctors and scientists are in a meeting upstairs," a soldier tells him when Yoongi asks of their whereabouts.

 

Yoongi bounds the steps and waits in the hallway.  The doors soon open and he steps to the side.  He notices the tension that leaks out of the room but he doesn't verbally question it, he instead politely bows to his coworkers before he finds Seungwan existing the room last.

 

Seungwan's face is hard with thought, but she quickly sends a Yoongi a tight smile that doesn't reach her eyes when finally notices him.

 

Yoongi gives a small squeeze to the doctor's arm before he returns his hand to his side.  "Is everything alright?  You look upset."

 

"Yeah, uh," Seungwan quickly nods adjusting her glasses over the bridge of her nose. 

 

Yoongi can tell something's up, but he doesn't push.

 

"The meeting at the Palace should be starting soon," she says.  "Let's go."

 

 

 

 

 

"Your Royal Highness, King Namjoon, is now entering the room."

 

The General of the Kingdom's army, Yoongi, a few other soldiers, and the small team of doctors and scientist stand at attention in the presence of the King.

 

"It is a pleasure to see everyone.  You all may sit," Namjoon speaks with a confident air, but Yoongi can tell that he's upset, almost as upset as the day his child was found missing. 

 

Namjoon takes his place at the head of the table, right between Yoongi and the General.  "I have called this meeting today to relieve you all of your search party duties," he says solemnly before he slightly clenches his jaw.

 

Everyone gasps and murmurs amongst one another with questions written on their faces.  Yoongi looks around the table and stops when he gets to Seungwan, finding her staring down at her lap.  His eyebrows pinch together.

 

"My advisers," Namjoon pauses to sigh, "Have finally convinced me that we have been looking for my son for too long now.  I apologize for my impulsive behavior this past year, I hope you understand, that as a father, my priority has been the wrongful absence of my son.  You may return to your families tonight knowing you won't be a part of any late night search and rescue missions."

 

Yoongi should be happy about this.  He should be elated that he finally gets to be home spending time with Jungkook, but he feels for the King's sadness. Yoongi would feel the same if Jungkook were unexpectedly taken away from him.

 

Yoongi reaches over and softly clasps his hand over Namjoon's.  From one childhood friend to another, he gives a consoling squeeze to Namjoon's hand and Namjoon squeezes back with a sad smile before he turns back to the meeting.

 

"My wife and I are formally announcing that we will close the Palace for a few days as we mourn the loss of our child," Namjoon quietly says.  "We hope you all understand."

 

Everyone in the nods in agreement as Namjoon then turns to the group of doctors on the right side of the table.

 

"I was told the head doctor has some news for this meeting?" Namjoon changes the conversation.

 

"Ah, yes," the doctor near Seungwan sits up straight and gathers his papers.  "In recent events, as you all may know, a team of soldiers found a deceased Seven just outside of our border.  My team and I," he nervously gestures to his fellow doctors, "We may have found a cure for the plague."

 

The room falls still at that.

 

"You may have found a cure?" Namjoon questions with furrows eyebrows.

 

"If this is true, this means we can finally open our borders, this means we can have relations with other countries across the ocean," the General hopefully speaks.

 

This all seems disposed to look on the bright side, but Yoongi knows there's a catch.

 

"Y-Yes, but the cure we tried on the Seven we have prisoner wasn't a complete success," the doctor adjusts his glasses.  "The deceased specimen we drew blood from only made the cure last for a few hours."

 

"Why not take blood from the live Seven you have and re-inject it into him with the cure?" Yoongi asks.

 

"Well, we tried that, but the test did not work," another doctor enlightens.

 

"I'm not understanding," the General shakes his head.

 

"We have hypothesized that the cure only activates with the blood type O of the cursed Park bloodline," the head doctor says.  "In other words, we need someone of the cursed Park bloodline, with type O blood, _and_ who is alive to successfully have a cure."

 

"We wanted to be a part of this meeting to ask if we could send a doctor and a few soldiers to the cursed island to get the blood we need for the cure," the other doctor finishes.

 

"Wouldn't that be a risk?" Namjoon asks then.  "The doctor you send could die.  This disease is fatal to anyone not of the cursed Park bloodline."

 

"That is true," the head doctor agrees.  "But anyone not of the cursed Park bloodline can live with the disease to a varying extent.  If this operation goes as planned, the doctor we send can receive the cure as well when they return."

 

" _If_ they return," Yoongi speaks up then.  "We don't know if the people on the island are welcoming to outsiders.  Have you factored in the Sevens?  We haven't heard from them in a while.  We don't even know where they could be." 

 

"But we do know that the Sevens are still in the country.  Our patrols have seen no one enter or leave the only water channel into our land," the General tells him.

 

Yoongi shakes his head in frustration.  "Bottom line is we're talking about sending a team on a suicide mission."

 

"This sounds very dangerous," one of Namjoon's advisers warns from his side.

 

"But it is for the common good," another scientist urges.  "This is our job to study and prevent diseases, you must let us do this."

 

Yoongi is getting tired of them talking in circles so her cuts to the chase.  "Who are you planning on sending?"

 

"Me," Seungwan answers.

 

Yoongi sees red.

 

 

 

 

 

Yoongi sends Jungkook to bed early that night, too upset to talk or play with his son after how the meeting went.

 

He can't believe Namjoon agreed to the plan.  _Why would he agree to send a lone doctor to a cursed island?_ Yoongi yells in his head.  Seungwan could die if things don't go right.  Yoongi can't even begin to imagine that.

 

Yoongi lets out frustrated noise and slams the door to his bedroom. 

 

He doesn't sleep that night.

 

A few days later, Yoongi receives a letter from the General that he is to train Seungwan in basic combat.  Just in case Seungwan needs to defend herself on the island, the General wrote in the letter.

 

Yoongi scoffs and throws the letter in the trash.

 

Seungwan knocks on his door the day after that.

 

Yoongi can't look her straight in the eyes.

 

Training goes well, to say the least.  Yoongi and Seungwan don't talk like they used to, only short conversation and quick remarks from Yoongi such as ' _be quicker_ ' or ' _don't let your guard down_ '.

 

Yoongi builds up a wall Seungwan can't break down.

 

They are on their last training session when Seungwan falls onto her butt with a hard thud, tired from a defensive move she can quite nail.

 

"You told me not to go easy on you," Yoongi reluctantly looks down at her.  "Get back up."

 

He's hated every training session with Seungwan.  The physical contact between them is conflicting Yoongi's mind due to the fact that he wants to be with her and not be anywhere around her at the same time.

 

Baby hairs cling to Seungwan's forehead from the sweat above her brow.  Yoongi silently stretches his hand down towards her.  Seungwan huffs, blowing her loose bangs out of her face as she looks between Yoongi's hand and his stoic face before she grabs for his hand.

 

"I know your upset with me, Yoongi," she says as she lets Yoongi help her onto her feet.  She squeezes Yoongi's hand, keeping him in place as she looks him in the eye.  "I know you're angry about me leaving, and I—"

 

"If you know then _why_ in the world are you leaving?" Yoongi angrily spits, slightly squeezing her hand back.  "If you know how I feel then why are you putting your life in danger like this?"  He didn't mean for what he just said to come out as harshly as it did, but he can't hide his feelings right now.

 

"You knew from the start that I wasn't staying here long.  My contract with the Kingdom just happens to end the day I board that ship to leave for the island.  You already knew that."

 

"That doesn't matter right now," Yoongi counters.  "What matters is your safety."

 

"I'm a traveling medical microbiologist that works alongside the military, Yoongi.  Being unsafe is a part of my job.  I have to go, I _need_ to go.  If me going means saving thousands of lives, then I'm doing it."

 

Yoongi scoffs at that.  "What about the people you're leaving behind?"

 

Seungwan crosses her arms and steps forward.  "Who I am leaving behind, Yoongi?"

 

"What about you're family," Yoongi starts.  "What about the friends you've made, Jungkook, what about...  What about me?"

 

Seungwan stares at him with her mouth ajar, connecting the dots to what Yoongi is trying to get at.  "I told you from the beginning that I can't have relationships because my job always comes first."

 

"I know that, but you can't deny that there's something between us, Seungwan."

 

"I don't think there is anything between us," Seungwan argues.  "We haven't spoken in days.  You've been avoiding me like the plague."

 

Yoongi grits his teeth, half-embarrassed about his behavior towards her.  "Listen, Wannie, we can work things out.  Just—"

 

"Don't call me that right now," Seungwan interrupts him.  "You're not about to use your feelings for me to make me stay—"

 

"My feelings for you _should_ make you stay," Yoongi yells before he can stop himself. "Do you have any idea how much I'll worry for you if you go?"

 

Seungwan's eyes widen at Yoongi's boldness.  She opens her mouth to say something but Yoongi continues.

 

"My job is just as dangerous as yours," Yoongi tells her.  He wipes at the sweat above his lip before he places his hands on his hips.  "We both lock ourselves away from people because of it, but that doesn't mean we have to make each other miserable."

 

"Speak for yourself, Yoongi, I've never had feelings for you," Seungwan says lowly.

 

Yoongi flinches at that.  The sounds surrounding them fade away and it's like the whole world has suddenly stopped.  He bats his eyes repeated, finding Seungwan still there having spoken what she just said without hesitation.  "You're lying," he eventually says.

 

Seungwan looks away from him and shrugs her shoulders.  "Believe what you want.  We're just friends, Yoongi...  T-That's all we ever were," she bites down her jaw as she steps away from Yoongi and his heart falls with each step she takes.  "I'm leaving in a few days and that's final, whether you like it or not."

 

Without looking back, Seungwan leaves Yoongi standing in an open field.  She wraps her arms around her shoulders to not give away any signs of her crying.  She can't let Yoongi know that he's right.  She can't let him know that she loves him, too.

 

Maybe she'll tell him when— _if_ she makes it back from the island.  For now, she has a job she needs to do.

 

That Saturday, Seungwan leaves on the first boat to set sail beyond the Kingdom's borders in decades.

 

And that Sunday, Yoongi mourns the loss of his first love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**PART III**

 

"Happy birthday to you," Yoongi sweetly sings as he nudges the door to Jungkook's room open.  As early in the morning as it is, he knows Jungkook is awake as he sees the child's feet squirm under the blankets. 

 

The younger boy couldn't keep quiet about how excited he was to be spending his third birthday with his adoptive father the previous night. 

 

"Happy birthday to you."

 

Jungkook smiles brightly and hides his face in his pillow.  He sits up in his bed and his eyes widen at the cake in Yoongi's hands.

 

"Happy birthday, Jungkookie," Yoongi sings he sits next to Jungkook.  "Happy birthday to you!"

 

Jungkook clambers from under his covers and sits next to Yoongi, all while never letting his eyes leave the cake.  "Dad, this cake is huge!"

 

"Well, you got upset when I got you a small one last year," Yoongi playfully whines.  "You better eat all of this, Jungkook, because this is the only sweet thing you'll be eating for the rest of the year."  He places the cake in Jungkook's lap, careful not to let it fall and have a repeat of Jungkook's disastrous first birthday, before he places a kiss to Jungkook's temple.  "Blow out your candles, Kook, and don't forget to thank the Sun."

 

"Thank you for another birthday, Sun," Jungkook grins as he blows out all ten of his candles.  He then turns to Yoongi, "And thank you for another cake, dad!" 

 

"Rascal," Yoongi chides through a proud smile as he watches Jungkook lean down and take a big bite out his cake.  "I should've gotten you a fork."  He wipes a bit of icing out of Jungkook's black hair.  "Your mother would very proud of you, you're growing up so well."

 

Jungkook's smile turns sad then.  Although he wishes his mother was here to see him turn another year older, he's grateful Yoongi never leaves her out whenever they celebrate Jungkook's life.

 

He's thankful he's gotten to spend his birthdays with both his mother and Yoongi.

 

The next day, Jungkook is lying on his tummy on the tent's floor as he draws another picture for Yoongi to pin to his cork board.  Yoongi sits at a table on the other side of Jungkook studying a map of villages that surround the Kingdom.

 

The sounds of the army's campgrounds bustling with soldiers leaks into the tent as a few officers enter the room. 

 

"Lieutenant General Min," one of the officers bow in greeting.  "We formally announce the presence of King Namjoon."

 

Yoongi internally bristles at the King's sudden arrival to the camp.  He quickly stands to his feet and lightly kicks Jungkook's thigh, making the boy whine as he drops his crayons and stands, as Namjoon enters the tent.

 

Jungkook's doe-like eyes grow wide at the presence of the King as the officers exit the tent.  He almost forgets to bow before Yoongi's large hand covers the nape of his neck and gently pushes him down, making them both bow.

 

"You may rise."  Namjoon smiles down at Jungkook as soon as they make eye contact, "Hello, Jungkook.  Nice to finally meet you."

 

Jungkook's eyes widen even more at that.   _He knows my name?_ He quickly bows again.  "H-Hello, Your Majesty."

 

Namjoon's eyes flicker to Jungkook's drawings.  "You're an excellent artist, Jungkook."

 

"Thank you," Jungkook ducks his head and bashfully smiles.

 

"Alright, kid," Yoongi ruffles the child's hair.  "You can go back to playing.  Let us grown-ups talk."

 

The King looks to Jungkook as the younger hops around Yoongi to return to his drawings.  Yoongi can see the sorrowful look on the King's face. 

 

Prince Taehyung would be three years old this year...

 

Namjoon continues to visit Yoongi from time to time like that, coming to chat with his childhood friend.  Namjoon lets Yoongi know that he and his wife are fine now, but a day never goes by in which they grieve for their stolen son.

 

 

 

 

 

The Kingdom has been peacefully quiet, which everyone is grateful for.  The presence of the Sevens is fading away to the back of everyone's minds.  

 

A memorial has been painted on a large wall at the center of the Kingdom in honor of the lost Prince.  Yoongi and Jungkook visit every month, paying their respects and sometimes Jungkook leaves a toy, looking up to Yoongi and telling him that the lost Prince would be grateful to know he has a few toys waiting for him, wherever he is.

 

Yoongi sometimes thinks the lost Prince would be better off dead than not living a life he was destined for.

 

They participate in the fire lantern festival that next month for Prince Taehyung's birthday.  Jungkook is always eager to send off his lantern into the night, lighting it quickly in hopes that the Prince will see it and return home like the royal family hopes.  Yoongi would hold onto that glimmer of hope, too, if his son was taken from him.

 

Yoongi holds Jungkook's hand and he quietly watches as the night's sky illuminates with a warm light.  He suddenly wonders if Seungwan is looking at the stars as him, the same lights as him.  When Yoongi thinks Seungwan is dead, he cries.  When he thinks she's alive, he wonders how she is every day even though everyone has given up on the small team of soldiers and one doctor to come back from their mission.

 

That night after dinner, Yoongi tucks his son into bed.  Jungkook sleepily yawns as he makes himself comfortable under his blankets. 

 

"Dad?"

 

Yoongi brushes the child's fringe away from his forehead.  "Yes, Jungkook."

 

"Do you think Dr. Son will ever come back?" Jungkook asks.  In his fatigued state, he doesn't notice how Yoongi's hand stills in his hair.  "She told me she'd be back soon."

 

Yoongi's eyebrows pinch together.  "When did she tell you that?"

 

"Before she left," Jungkook drowsily blinks.  "She kept saying she was sorry...  She was crying and she asked me if I thought you'd wait for her and I told her you would because you guys are best friends, but she told me not to tell you that."

 

No wonder Jungkook is just now telling him this. 

 

"That was three years ago, son."

 

"But I still remember it," Jungkook whines defensively as Yoongi runs his fingers through his hair.  "I was thinking about it because I miss her a lot.  Don't you miss her, too?"

 

Yoongi sighs.  Of course he misses Seungwan.  How can he not?  The love of his life graced herself into his life and was unexpectedly torn away from him.  A day hasn't gone by where he doesn't think about her.

 

Something sparks in Yoongi's chest.  He knew was right.  He knew Seungwan loved him back.  But what can he do now?  She's not here.

 

Jungkook yawns again and Yoongi takes that as a cue to go to his own bed. 

 

"Goodnight, Jungkook," Yoongi eventually says before he blows out the candle lighting his son's room.

 

 

 

 

 

_Cock-a-doodle-doooo!_

 

An eighteen-year-old Jungkook rolls over in bed with a loud yawn. 

 

He sleepily mutters under his breath and snuggles a little deeper into his bed.  God, he doesn't want to leave the warmth of his bed, especially not today since he's graduating high school tomorrow.

 

"Son, you need to wake up!  I'm cooking breakfast," Yoongi calls from downstairs. 

 

Jungkook tosses around his bed and onto his back.  Yoongi showers, brushes his teeth, pulls his hair into a secure bun, lays his uniform on his bed before he heads to the kitchen.

 

"I'm cooking breakfast!" Yoongi calls a few minutes later, as if that will persuade his son to leave his bed.

 

Jungkook can hear breakfast sizzling against a pan.  His stomach grumbles, telling Jungkook to get out of bed but Jungkook resists the aromas filling his room and squeezes his eyes shut.  Maybe he can fake being sick and tell his dad he should stay home today.  He's done it before.

 

The sizzling stops after a few minutes and the sound of Yoongi's footsteps ascending the stairs come soon after that.

 

Jungkook mentally groans.

 

Yoongi pushes the door open and walks to the left side of Jungkook's bed.  He grabs for Jungkook's leg over the comforter and shakes it a little.  "Jungkook, it's time to get up."

 

"Hmph," Jungkook throws a pillow over his face, leaving a tuft of raven hair to peak out from under it, and he whines.  "Few more minutes," he sleepily pleads.

 

"No way.  The last time I let you sleep in for a few minutes you ended up skipping school," Yoongi reprimands as he places his hands on his hips.  He ~~im~~ patiently taps his foot to Jungkook's silence.

 

When Jungkook makes effort to move, Yoongi walks to the foot of the bed and flips the bottom side of the comforter up before he grabs Jungkook's bare ankles and begins to pull.  The bit of Jungkook's hair that was peaking from under his pillow disappears into his comforter before his unruly bedhead reappears as his back hits the floor at the foot of his bed.

 

An involuntary gust of air exits Jungkook's butt and he lets out an embarrassed yelp.  "Oh, c'mon, dad!" he gripes as he sluggishly sits up. 

 

Jungkook attempts to glare up at his dad with his sleep-laden eyes.  Yoongi chuckles at his son's eye-boogers and moves to the other side of the room to draw the curtains open.  Jungkook shields his eyes and whines even more.

 

"Greet the day, Kook," Yoongi says as he walks to the door.  Jungkook still sits on the floor rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

 

Jungkook turns his face to the window, letting the sunlight hit his closed eyes, and sighs.  "Thank you for the day, Sun," he pouts.

 

"Your food's gonna get cold.  I expect you with your face washed and downstairs in three minutes," Yoongi instructs before he closes Jungkook's door.

 

Yoongi returns downstairs, washes the cooking pans, and plates his and Jungkook's food before Jungkook eventually finds his way to the kitchen. 

 

Yoongi grins at the sound of Jungkook's feet padding across the floor.  "Good morning," he softly greets his son as he places their food on the table.

 

"You say that like you didn't just force me out of my own bed," Jungkook says with mock irritation lacing his voice.  He sits at the table and pushes his hair away from his face before grabs for a fork.

 

Yoongi chuckles and takes a sip of his coffee.

 

Jungkook digs into his breakfast and releases an exaggerated moan.  "I love your egg rolls so much," he mewls, his cheeks stuffed full of food.

 

"So," Yoongi starts after he wipes at his mouth.  "Today is your last day of school and then you graduate tomorrow.  Should we celebrate or should I try to act like a cool dad and give you space?"

 

Jungkook burps in his mouth and sits back in his chair.  "No, we can do something.  I won't say no to cake," he coyly suggests. "But the senior class is having a bonfire or something tonight, so…"

 

"That's fine, we can do something tomorrow after the ceremony then," Yoongi plainly says.  He takes a few bites of his own food before he leans his elbow on the table and rests his head in the palm in his hand as he watches Jungkook eat.

 

Jungkook has come a long way since Yoongi adopted him eleven years ago.  Things were hard at times, he and Jungkook still argue from time to time, Jungkook never goes a week without getting into trouble, but Yoongi has never once regretted taking the younger under his wing.

 

"You know, son, you've grown so much over the years and I am so—"

 

"Oh my God, _dad_ ," Jungkook groans.  "I know you wanna give me a sentimental speech and tell me how proud you are of me and how much you love me— _and blah, blah, blah_ —but I'd rather not cry before I go to school today."

 

Yoongi airily laughs at that.  "Alright, alright.  I'll save it for tomorrow.  You should go and get ready for school now."

 

Jungkook scoots his chair back and clears the table as Yoongi retreats to his room to put on his uniform.

 

Jungkook softly smiles as he scrubs the dishes clean.  He will never cease to internally beam under Yoongi's love for him, but he's about to be a man now, so needs to keep cool.

 

 

 

 

 

Jungkook strolls down the cobblestone pathway to school with a hopeful bounce in his step.  His stomach is full of good food and he's so happy that today is his last day of school.  He's never writing an excessively-long essay, doing a group project where he does most of the work or eating horrible school food ever again after today.

 

He's gotten through most of the school year without getting into too much trouble at school and he has a strict dad to thank for that.  Mingyu and his lackeys still bug him from time to time, but Jungkook has learned to either ignore them or make sly comebacks when they make fun of him in class. 

 

Jungkook has gotten used to the bullying, but he'd never go and snitch on them like a child, especially when he can stand up for himself on his own.

 

Jungkook spots his closest friend, Yugyeom, exiting their house and a big grin stretches across Jungkook's face.  He stretches his arm in the air and begins to wave, "Hey, Yu—"

 

A heavy arm slinks over Jungkook's shoulders and Jungkook immediately knows who it is.

 

"Hey, orphan boy!" Mingyu smiles as he tugs at Jungkook's tunic.  His friends crowd on either side of him as they walk.  "You know, I saw your mom in my last night in my dreams!"

 

"Shut up," Jungkook mutters as he shrugs Mingyu's body away from him.  He makes a quick beeline for Yugyeom and smiles at him. 

 

Yugyeom naturally falls into step with Jungkook as he does every morning before school, ignoring Mingyu's sarcastic calls being thrown at their backs.  "I'm glad we're graduating tomorrow.  The sooner we can get away from Mingyu, the better, huh?"

 

Jungkook couldn't agree more.

 

As Jungkook enters the large stone and wooden building that is his high school, he and Yugyeom part ways before he walks over to his locker, ignoring the giggles and whispers of girls on the way.

 

Jungkook knows he gets a lot of attention from the opposite sex because of his body.  Puberty has given him a chiseled jawline and a lean body.  Jungkook has never taken up any sports due to his lack of wanting to be social with others but his dad has been forcing him to work out with him every evening.

 

Jungkook opening his locker and swapping out his books when he feels someone approaching him.  He places the last of his books in his bag before he slowly closes it.  He keeps his head low, catching a glimpse of the girl's dark woven loafers.

 

"Hey, Jungkookie!  How are you?" she softly greets him.  "Did you finish that paper Mr. Han said was due today?  Gosh, it was a super long assignment wasn't?" she lightly rambles.

 

Jungkook keeps his head down and he clenches jaw.  Only one person can call him by that name.  "Don't call me that."

 

"O-Oh, I'm sorry?" she says more like a question than an apology.  "Anyways, I have something for you," she shuffles a little closer and offers Jungkook a piece of paper folded in half.  "But don't open it until you're in class, okay?"

 

Jungkook looks her in the eyes then.  A smile quickly grows across her face, a twinkle of hope resting in her eyes.  He thinks he knows this girl, he's seen her around in hallways at school, mostly hanging around Mingyu and his friends.  Yuna, he thinks is her name.

 

Jungkook reluctantly takes the paper from Yuna, mostly because he wants to get away from the group girls giggling behind her.

 

Yuna smiles even bigger at that.  "I'll…see you later then?"

 

Jungkook somewhat nods his head and walks away.  He keeps his head ducked as he enters his classroom and flops down in his seat next to Yugyeom.  He unfolds the letter then, reading over the neat handwriting covered in hearts.

 

_I think you're really cute hehe (heart)_

_Would you like to be my date to the bonfire tonight?_

_\- Yuna_

 

Jungkook's stomach drops and his mind races.  He's never been asked out on a date, let alone been in a romantic relationship with any girl.  Jungkook barely knows this girl.   _How can Yuna be so bold_ —

 

"I see you scored a date," Yugyeom suddenly teases over his shoulder.  "Who's it from?"

 

Jungkook crumbles the paper in his hand and stuffs it into his pocket.  "No one important."

 

"You're still going to the bonfire, right?  I think it'll be fun."

 

"I told my dad I was," Jungkook sighs.  "But now I don't know."

 

"Forget about the girl, how about we go together?" Yugyeom offers.  "Some of my friends are going, too.  They'd be glad to see you again.  They've been asking about you ever since the last time you hung out with us."

 

Jungkook grins at the thought of Yugyeom's silly friends.  They might have sucked out all of the little social energy Jungkook has, but they're a good group of guys.  

 

"You mean the _first_ and _only_ time?" Jungkook jokes.

 

Jungkook does usually spend most of his time at home, but he doesn't mind.  In all honesty, he'd rather be at home with his dad or in his room drawing and studying because that's where he's the most comfortable. 

 

Maybe he's just waiting for life to just _happen_ to him.

 

Yugyeom grabs Jungkook's arm with both hands and begins to loudly whine, pulling a bit of attention from their classmates towards them.  "Come on, Jungkook, it'll be fun!" he playfully pleads.

 

"Alright, alright," Jungkook appeases him with a slight blush on his cheeks.

 

 Jungkook's class eventually finds themselves in the school's arboretum.  The air is thick with yellow pollen and Yugyeom is relentlessly sneezing.

 

"Everyone gather around, please!  So, today we are learning about different species of plants," the teacher cheerily announces.  "Since the school lies near the edge of the forest, we have a great selection of specimens to observe."

 

"Man, I think I'm allergic to pollen," Yugyeom wheezes next to Jungkook.  He wipes at the mucus running down his upper-lip and Jungkook winces at the thick substance resting on Yugyeom's sleeve.

 

"Split into groups of two and identify the different kinds of weeds you find," the teacher instructs.  "You all have until the end of the class period to write a few details in your journals about each plant you find!"

 

Jungkook and Yugyeom obviously pair together, Jungkook being too shy to partner with anyone else and Yugyeom too intoxicated with pollen to realize Jungkook is pulling him in the direction of the treeline. 

 

They go the furthest into the forest than the other groups just so Jungkook can get some peace and quiet as he and Yugyeom do their assignment.  They easily find the weeds they're supposed to be looking for, going deeper into the forest as they go, but not too far from where they began.

 

About ten minutes pass of silence as wooden pencils scribbling across paper when a hard _thump_ sounds near them.

 

Jungkook lifts his head.  "What was that?" he questions.

 

Yugyeom sneezes.  "Probably a squirrel or something."

 

"Sounded bigger than a squirrel to me," Jungkook response flatly.  He eventually shrugs it off, thinking it really is a small animal, but when Jungkook's ears twitch and pull towards the sound of someone struggling to breathe, he drops his pencil and journal and walks towards the sound.

 

"Where are you going?" Yugyeom stands and follows him.

 

"Just checking it out," Jungkook tells him before he maneuvers over a fallen tree.  The sound of labored breathing grows.  Alarm bells are ringing in Jungkook's mind but he keeps walking.

 

"Dude, what if it's a dead bear or something?!" Yugyeom whisper-screams behind him.

 

Jungkook approaches a tall bush and it seems like whatever is struggling for air is right behind it.  Jungkook outstretches a shaky hand pulls back the leaves to reveal a man lying on the ground.  He's covered in blood and his hands are clenched right below his ribs where it looks like he's been stabbed.

 

"H-Help!" the man cries.

 

"Oh my God!" Yugyeom yells as he scrambles back and trips over his feet. 

 

Jungkook looks to the man's eyes then, a violent yellow in his pleading irises.

 

Jungkook's never seen a Seven in person, he's only gone off of the description his mother told him long ago.  His skin is a ghostly pale, dark veins running to and fro across his skin.

 

"Ch-Chan," the man barely gets out before coughs up blood.  "H-He tried t-to kill me!"

 

Jungkook stares daggers into the man below him and clenches his fists.  _Y_ _ou should die, you killed my mother_ , he spits in his mind. 

 

He pushes through the thick bush then, ignoring the lack of Yugyeom's presence and stands right over the Seven.  Jungkook has the mind to bash his brains in, to get revenge for the those Sevens that killed his mother all those years ago.

 

Jungkook places his boot over the Sevens' wound before he begins to add pressure. 

 

The Seven screams in agony.  "Please!" the man pitifully yells.

 

Jungkook sees red in corners of his vision.  "You deserve no mercy," he lowly says before he presses his shoe even deeper into the man's wound. 

 

Jungkook is suddenly tackled from the side and a Kingdom guard is holding him down.

 

" _Hold him down!_ "

 

" _Get his shoe off and burn it!_ "

 

Everything sounds so far away.  Jungkook doesn't even realize what's happening.  He can see nothing but the trees covering the sky and other guards running by to deal with the dying Seven as lies on his back.

 

"Get off of me!" Jungkook grunts, struggling against the weight of the guard as his shoe is taken off.

 

"Jeon Jungkook!" Yoongi suddenly barks.

 

Jungkook instantly stops squirming and stiffly lies on the ground.  The guard releases his hold on him and Yoongi comes into his view then.  Jungkook can see the disappointment in his father's face.

 

"Did you touch him," Yoongi sternly says as he crosses his arms over his chest.

 

"No, sir," Jungkook responds.  "Just…  Just my shoe."  He slightly curls the toes on his bare foot.

 

Yoongi clenches his jaw.  "What in the world were you thinking?  You do realize what is at stake if you made any further contact with that Seven, don't you?"

 

Jungkook balls his fists against the ground. "Yes, sir.  The virus could ki—"

 

"The virus could kill you, but you didn't care to stop and think about that when you were torturing that man," Yoongi interrupts him.

 

Jungkook bites down on his tongue.

 

"I know exactly what you were doing, Jungkook," Yoongi continues.  "I don't care how much someone has hurt you, you _never_ seek revenge.  Do you understand me?"

 

"Yes, sir," Jungkook grits out.

 

Yoongi stares down at his for a few seconds before turns to a nearby guard.  "I'm ordering a lock-down on the Kingdom.  No one leaves their homes until further notice.  Inform the King of this," he quickly tells a guard.  He turns back to Jungkook's form still lying on the ground, a hint of worry lacing his eyes.  "I pray you're not sick, son.  I don't think you realize how trivial the situation you put yourself in is."

 

A wave of guilt crashes over Jungkook.  He didn't mean to do what he did.  His anger took over and the thought of Jungkook coming into contact with the virus scares him. "I-I'm sorry," Jungkook quietly apologizes.

 

Yoongi's professional front falls.  "I know you are, Kook," softly says before he motions for a few guards. "Escort my son to the lab at the headquarters and get one of the scientists to check his blood."

 

 

 

 

 

Jungkook is escorted home that night with the relief of good news and the burden of losing control to his anger earlier today.  He follows the guards closely down a quiet street.  The city surrounding the Palace is a ghost town tonight under the curfew Yoongi ordered.

 

When they finally reach Jungkook's home, the guards bid him farewell as he climbs the steps and enters his house.  

 

Jungkook cups his left forearm, sore and throbbing from getting pricked and stuck with surgical needles.  He's glad he came out of the lab without being struck with the virus, but he's still upset with himself for getting so close to coming into contact with a Seven's infected blood.

 

He lights a few candles to push the darkness out of the house.  Jungkook spots a letter on the kitchen table, most likely from his dad, telling Jungkook he'll be home in the morning because he's with a group of soldiers looking for evidence of any other Sevens lurking in the woods surrounding the Kingdom.

 

Jungkook puts the letter down and goes upstairs to his bathroom.  Just as he's out of the shower and fully dressed, a rock hits his window.  He slides the glass up and sees a giddy Yugyeom standing below.

 

"Yugyeom, what are you doing out there?!" Jungkook whisper-shouts down to him.  "The guards will catch you!"

 

"I don't see any guards right now," Yugyeom looks around him before he turns back to Jungkook and smugly shrugs before he turns serious.  "Hey, you're alright, right?  You're not infected are you?"

 

"No, I'm not infected," Jungkook shakes his head.  "Thanks for checking on me.  If that's all you wanted to know then you should head back home."

 

"What do you say about going to that bonfire?" Yugyeom says instead, stopping Jungkook from shutting his window.

 

"What?  People are still going?" Jungkook's eyes widen.  "Did they forget about the Kingdom-wide lock-down?"

 

"No one's worried about it," Yugyeom waves him off.  "Jackson found a quiet spot in one of the abandoned pastures.  The trees a tall so no one will see the fire or the smoke."

 

Jungkook thoughtfully chews on his bottom lip.  They could get into some serious trouble.  _But nothing could happen if they don't get caught_.  "This is a bad idea," he weakly says.

 

"C'mon, Jungkook, let's be a little adventurous tonight!" Yugyeom bounces on his feet.  "Let's forget about what happened earlier today and have some fun.  Are you in or _are you in_?"

 

Jungkook timidly smiles down at his friend.  "I'm in."

 

Soon after that, Yugyeom and Jungkook find their way to the abandoned pasture that Yugyeom was talking about.  The place is covered with trees and ever-growing vines, but the large pile of burning logs illuminates the place.

 

"Hey, you made it!" Jaebeom walks towards them with a big smile before he drops both of his arms over Jungkook's and Yugyeom's necks and pulls them towards the party.

 

The whole graduating class isn't here, but a good crowd mingles around the fire.  A few barrels of ale rests at the edge of the party and Jungkook spots a few classmates in a drunken state.

 

So far, things are going well and although Jungkook has denied every cup of ale offered to him, he loosens up with the help of Yugyeom.  Jungkook later finds himself conversing with a group of Yugyeom's friends and a few other classmates from school.

 

Everyone is in a good mood and Jungkook can't stop laughing at the story Jackson is telling the group.

 

"So there I was, goat's milk on my man-titties—"

 

"Bro, no way," Mark covers his laugh with his hand.  "You're lying!"

 

"Yeah, where exactly is this story going?" Jinyoung cuts in.

 

Jackson playfully shoves at Jinyoung.  "No, listen!  This is a true story, I promise!"

 

Jungkook feels a soft tap on his back and he turns around.

 

"Hey, Jungkook," Yuna sends him a bright smile.  The lower half of her face is shaded by Jungkook's shoulder, but her brown eyes take the flame of the bonfire burning behind him.

 

Jungkook's stomach drops.  He forgot about his encounter with the girl this morning.

 

Yuna steps forward and smiles at the group.  "You guys mind if I borrow Jungkook?"

 

The boys around them hoot and holler as they push Jungkook towards Yuna.  Jungkook sends Yugyeom a panicked look only to receive an obnoxious kissy-face from him as Yuna grabs his wrist and pulls him away.

 

Jungkook lets himself be dragged to the edge of the pasture near the trees but not too far away from the party.

 

Yuna stands in front of Jungkook, flipping her long hair over her shoulder as she fondly eyes him.  "So," she crosses arms, holding her small biceps as she grins up at him, "Did you read my note?  I'm sad you get didn't to answer before the craziness that happened earlier."  She tilts her head to the side and grins.  "I wouldn't mind hearing your answer now."

 

Jungkook gulps and nods his head.  He feels like Yuna really likes him even though they've never talked before.  "I...  Honestly, I don't know what to say."

 

"You're really cute, Jungkook," Yuna giggles as she steps forward.  "Forget about the note.  I wanna ask you something else.  Do you wanna date me?  Cause I really wanna date you," she bravely tells him.

 

Jungkook blushes at that and his heart beats a little faster as Yuna takes another step towards him.  She then closes her eyes, leans towards him, and puckers her lips.

 

Jungkook gawks at her.   _Am I supposed to kiss her?_

 

Before Jungkook can even think of running from this situation, he's suddenly shoved to the ground.

 

"Tryna take my girl, orphan boy?" Mingyu seethes above him.

 

Yuna tries to shove him away, but her weak attempt fails.  "Yah, Kim Mingyu, you have no right to do this!  We aren't together anymore!  Did you forget I broke with you?!"

 

Jungkook recovers and pushes himself from the ground until he's standing.  "This has nothing to do with you," he evenly tells him as he brushes a few blades of grass from his shirt.

 

"Nothing to do—" Mingyu scoffs as Yuna goes to Jungkook's side, "This has everything to do with me."

 

They catch the attention from the rest of the party then.  Jungkook steps back, not wanting to get into a fight, but Mingyu looks like he wants to make things physical between them.

 

"Hey, hey," Jackson emerges from the crowd then and puts himself between Jungkook and Mingyu.  "Guys, this isn't the place nor the time, just drop this."

 

Mingyu thinks this is the perfect time when he pushes Jackson out of the way and sends a punch to Jungkook's jaw.  Jungkook staggers, pain blossoming through his cheek and seeing stars as Yuna screams as she's pulled away from the two boys.

 

Jungkook has no idea what problem Mingyu has with him.  He's never done anything wrong to Mingyu to make him act this way him.

 

Before Jungkook can even think about retaliating, loud whistles are being blown and a large group of guards comes stomping through the treeline.

 

"Guards!" someone screams and all of Jungkook's schoolmates scramble away from the scene in different directions.

 

Jungkook turns on his heel to run back home when is suddenly face to face with his father.  Jungkook flinches and before he can spew out some sort of hurried apology, Yoongi grabs him by the wrist and forces him around.

 

"In the name of the Kingdom, you are under arrest for violating military orders," Yoongi tells him over his shoulder as he cuffs Jungkook's wrists together.

 

Jungkook winces at the cold stone on his skin.  He can blatantly hear the disappointment in his father's voice.  "Dad, I—"

 

"Stop talking, Jungkook," Yoongi tells him as he guides him away from the bonfire.  "You've gotten yourself in enough trouble today, don't make it worse."

 

Jungkook snaps his mouth shut.  He looks around and sees a few of his schoolmates being cuffed as well.  He hangs his head as Yoongi stuffs him into a carriage with his peers.  

 

He knew he shouldn't have come.

 

He knows his father is upset with him.  

 

All he does is cause trouble.  All he does is disappoint.

 

 

 

 

 

The cell's door opens and closes.  Jungkook doesn't even dare look up.  He already knows who it is.

 

A small cupcake is pushed his way and Yoongi's footsteps echo as he walks and stands before Jungkook.

 

Jungkook blinks at the cupcake's small lit candle and he sniffs.  "I don't deserve this."

 

"You sure as hell don't," Yoongi's deep voice reverberates off the stone walls of the jail.

 

Jungkook flinches and clenches his fists.  His father can be a scary man when he's upset, and Jungkook can never get used to it, no matter how times he's been in trouble with Yoongi.

 

Yoongi crosses his arms over his chest.  "Relax your fists, son.  I'm not here to fight with you.  Look up at me."

 

Jungkook obeys his father's words.

 

"I am very disappointed in you, Jungkook," Yoongi starts, his gaze soft but firm.  "The things you did today...  You're lucky you're still alive.  We're letting you and your friends off the hook, since you all were trying to celebrate—"

 

Jungkook eyes widen in hope.

 

"But that doesn't mean I'm letting _you_ off so easily," Yoongi sternly continues.  "As of tomorrow after your graduation, you belong to the Kingdom's military."

 

Jungkook's eyebrows disappear under his dark fringe.  There's no way he'll be a soldier.  _There's no way._ "What?!  Dad—"

 

"There's no room for discussion after the stunts you pulled today," Yoongi interrupts him.  "You either enlist or pay a heavy punishment for breaking the law."

 

Jungkook sits back against the wall and his head hitting the stone with a small thud.  He knows he has no other choice.  "I'd rather not rot in prison," he eventually says.

 

Yoongi stares at his son for a few moments before he slips his hands into his pockets and nods.  "Jungkook, whatever happens from here on out, you need to realize that _you_ are responsible for your life and how things play out for you.  You may still be a kid, but it's time to grow up, son.  Stop making rash decisions.  Stop letting your anger control you."

 

Jungkook chews on his bottom lip as Yoongi turns to leave.

 

Yoongi opens the cell's door, and before he moves to close it, he says, "I guess I'll save the sappy-proud-father speech for later."

 

Jungkook wants to laugh at that.  Things were supposed to be different tonight. But look at what he's gotten himself into.

 

"See you in the morning, Kook."  And Yoongi closes the door, his thick boots fading down the hall as walks away from his son.

 

Jungkook sadly blows out the candle, sadly wishing he could restart the day.

 

He lies down on his side on the cold floor and lets himself succumb to the heavy lure of sleep.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next chapter ~


	3. Chapter 3

 

 

 

 

 

**PART  IV**

 

Jungkook finds himself standing in line with other soldiers to get lunch.  The tent they are under shields them from the hot glare of the sun.  Everyone's sweaty and tired from the early morning workout session they just had. 

 

Jungkook quietly stands while everyone else is talking around him.  He knows he should talk to his fellow comrades like his father tells him to, but Jungkook just doesn't want to bother anyone.

 

Separation anxiety, his therapist told him once.  It's the reason why Jungkook never really reaches out to anyone unless he truly knows they won't go anywhere. 

 

Jungkook misses Yugyeom.  He wonders how he's holding up working in his father's paint shop.  His thoughts get interrupted when he hears Mingyu's obnoxious voice a few feet away from him, bragging about how he ran the fastest today.  Jungkook makes the mistake of turning around and glaring at Mingyu as he continues to gloat to the other soldiers when he and Mingyu make eye contact.

 

_Of course Mingyu had to join the military, too.  Of course._

 

Mingyu smirks.  "Oh, hey, orphan boy!" he calls as he cuts the line to stand next to Jungkook.  "I didn't know you were here, too.  Maybe you've been falling behind during the training sessions, huh," he says menacingly as he crosses his arms over his chest.

 

Jungkook knows Mingyu is lying.  His bully never misses a chance to shove into him when they cross paths on the campgrounds.

 

Jungkook sighs and turns back around, stepping forward as the line inches forward, letting his back face Mingyu.  He can smell the aroma of rice, soup, and meat and he tries his best to focus on that.  Jungkook's done a good job ignoring Mingyu all these years, he can continue to do it for another few weeks.

 

Mingyu steps even closer to Jungkook.  He leans forward and smugly grins near Jungkook's ear.  "You know, Yuna sends me letters from time to time.  She always writes asking what I'm up to, but she never asks about you.  Don't you find that strange, orphan boy?  I guess she really didn't like you after all."

 

"I don't care," Jungkook says flatly.  He honestly doesn't, but it is strange to hear the first girl that showed any interest in him ran back to Mingyu, especially after what happened at the bonfire.  The muscles in Jungkook's legs tighten and he breathes through his nose.  "And stop calling me that."

 

"What, stop calling you 'orphan boy'?  Oh no, I don't think so," Mingyu smiles at the reaction he's getting out of Jungkook.  "You know why orphans are who they are, right?  Because everyone forgets about them."

 

Jungkook clenches his fists.  It's never a difficult feat for Mingyu to get under his skin.  Jungkook knows he's lying, but he can't help but get heated at his words.

 

"Everyone forgets about them," Mingyu repeats with a low chuckle.  "That's funny, isn't that what your mother did to yo—"

 

Jungkook doesn't even let Mingyu finish as he suddenly turns on his heels and lunges for him.  Jungkook clotheslines Mingyu, bringing them both down to the ground as shocked soldiers gather around them.

 

Jungkook and Mingyu wrestle on the ground, rolling every which way in the grass, trying to get the upper hand.  Mingyu, being more built than Jungkook, wins the battle of dominance between them and he climbs on top of Jungkook.  He straddles his legs on both sides of Jungkook's chest before he rears back and tries to punch Jungkook in the face.

 

Jungkook covers his face with his arms, blocking Mingyu's attempt to hit him before he finds an opening and uses his flexibility to lift his legs, wrapping his ankles around the front of Mingyu's neck.  Mingyu's hands fly to Jungkook's feet, choking for air as Jungkook pulls his legs down and sending his bully into the grass.

 

Jungkook scrambles from under Mingyu's body and stands, bumping into a few soldiers behind him as he forces himself to calm down.  He runs his hands over his face and tries to control his breathing. 

 

Jungkook looks up just in time to see Mingyu barreling towards him and he ducks before Mingyu can tackle him.  Mingyu loses his footing and falls to the ground.  The soldiers dodge his body, not wanting to intervene but wanting to watch to see who wins the fight.

 

Jungkook gives in to his anger and he stalks towards Mingyu, kicking him hard in the ribs and Mingyu rolls onto his back with a pained groan.  Junkook climbs atop of Mingyu and pins down his arms down with his hands, this time straddling his bent legs on both sides of Mingyu's chest, pressing his knees on top of Mingyu's arms before Jungkook rears his right arm back and sends a deafening blow to Mingyu's mouth.

 

Jungkook bring back his other hand punches Mingyu in the face twice, harder than he did the first time.  Jungkook finally feels like he's getting Mingyu back for all the bullying he did over the years, for leaving him in that abandoned well, for speaking ill of his late mother—

 

There's yelling in the background, but Jungkook ignores it.

 

" _Stop!_ "

 

" _He's gonna kill him!_ "

 

Jungkook's vision fills with red as he punches Mingyu again  _and again and again_.  Mingyu covers his face with his arms in a lame attempt to block Jungkook's punches, but Jungkook just keeps landing blow after blow on his forearms until—

 

A blaring whistle sounds through the early morning air and Jungkook wakes with a violent start.  He unclenches his hands from his sheets and sighs.  He can still feel the phantom pain on his knuckles as he rises from his bed.

 

_...It was just a dream, Jungkook._

 

He's thankful to the Sun above that Mingyu isn't really here with him.  Jungkook doesn't know how he would handle his bully being in his presence.

 

 

 

 

 

It's Jungkook's sixth week of boot camp and he is absolutely hating it.  His muscles are so sore and his body is aching.  He didn't believe his father when he said that the training would be rigorous, but now Jungkook does.

 

Jungkook hates  _everything_ about being a part of the Kingdom's Imperial military.  He hates waking up so early in the morning, he hates getting yelled at, he hates being around the other soldiers, and he absolutely _loathes_ the fact that his father is staring him down like a hawk the entire time.

 

But Jungkook's anger fuels his body to carry on. 

 

His anger carries him faster the early morning runs.  His anger helps him dodge his sparring opponent quicker.  His anger builds his stamina and gains him toned muscle.  He keeps away from the other soldiers and he only focuses on himself, repeatedly telling himself that what he's learning in boot camp only puts him another step closer to avenging his mother.

 

Jungkook still has reoccurring dreams of his mother's death.  He can never see her dying, but he always sees those bright yellow eyes staring at him through a roaring fire.

 

Jungkook has overheard talks of the Sevens reappearing again.  His father tries to keep quiet about it, but Jungkook always hears Yoongi's deep voice carrying just outside of his tent at night when Jungkook is wondering around.  Apparently, their leader has been hiding away in the country for some time now, slowly building an army of infected people in the mountains.

 

Chan is the leader's name.  He's heard that name somewhere before.

 

 

_"...Chan told us to."_

_"Chan isn't our leader, he's just a kid!  We don't have to do what he—"_

_"His father just died, so he's the next in command!  Do you wanna end up like Jongin?  Huh?  Got his freakin' throat slit right in front of everyone because he disobeyed Chan's orders."_

 

 

Jungkook clenches his jaw and tightens fists, his pinned up vexations threatening to leak through the surface. 

 

He'll kill Chan, even if it's the last thing he does.

 

 

 

 

 

It's the tenth week of training and the soldiers have recently received their military-issued swords a few weeks ago.  Jungkook holds it with a new-found pride every time his calloused fingers grip around the leather handle.  He vows to use it with enough skill to kill Chan.

 

Yoongi is always standing on the sidelines watching the soldiers train, yelling at Jungkook every once in a while when the younger is pushing himself too hard, but Jungkook would beg to differ.

 

"What's wrong with you, Jeon?!" Seungkwan angrily blurts as he staggers back from Jungkook.  He winces as he stumbles over a loose rock on the ground, but he quickly recovers.  "We're supposed to be sparring, not actually fighting.  You almost sliced me open!"

 

"Well, you need to be prepared for the field," Jungkook argues back.  He rolls shoulders back, releasing the taut tension in his right arm from holding his heavy sword up for so long.  "You think a Seven is gonna go easy on you out there?  They won't hesitate to kill."

 

"Whatever."  Seungkwan huffs an irritated sigh and he kicks at the rock near his foot.  His sweat reflects the setting sun behind Jungkook.  

 

Just as Jungkook and Seungkwan square up to go for another round of sword-fighting, Yoongi voice booms across the field.  "Training session's over!  Eat dinner and wash up before curfew.  Go!"

 

All the soldiers groan with relief as they disperse and head to the dining tent.  Jungkook catches Yoongi's eyes as the younger sheathes his sword into his leather holder belt.  They keep eye contact until Yoongi decides to turn away, talking with his fellow officers as they leave the training field.

 

Jungkook knows he's doing his best in the training sessions, but why does he feel like he's lacking Yoongi's eyes?  Was his stance wrong during the training sessions?  Was he not running fast enough?  Was his side of the tent not clean during inspections?

 

Jungkook shakes his head and turns to follow the rest of the soldiers to dinner.  He still feels like Yoongi is disappointed in him for sneaking out with Yugyeom that night.  Whatever it is, he knows his father will have a talk with him sooner or later.

 

The soldiers are a little rowdy as Jungkook enters the dining tent, probably happy that the day is over and that their time in boot camp is coming to an end.  Jungkook shuffles over to the end of the line of soldiers waiting for food, grabbing clean utensils and a tray while doing so.

 

Some tall guy—Jungkook doesn't know his name—turns around and smiles at him.  "You're Jeon Jungkook, right?  Lieutenant General Min's son?"

 

Jungkook ducks his head and bows a bit in greeting.  "It's just Jeon," he says monotonously.

 

"You don't want anyone knowing you're Min's son?" the soldier asks as they move forward in line.  "I'm Jaeyoon, by the way."

 

"Not really," Jungkook shakes his head.  "I'd rather get through this without gaining the wrong attention because of my relation to him."

 

"That's understandable.  Some of us were guessing that because we noticed you two have a similar fighting style.  Lieutenant General Min must've taught you everything he knows," Jaeyoon huffs a smile as he and Jungkook fill their trays with food.  "I'll tell the guys not to make a big deal about it, but I can't promise they'll stop talking about you.  Your skills are pretty impressive.  Everyone says you're gonna graduate at the top of our training class."

 

Jungkook's eyes widen and he almost drops his tray.  "Oh," is all he can muster at that knowledge.  _Everyone's talking about me?_

 

"You don't talk much, do you, Jeon?" Jaeyoon chuckles in amusement.  He jerks his head in the direction of a group of soldiers loudly talking on the other side of the tent.  "You wanna join us at our table?  There's plenty of room."

 

Jungkook eyes the table.  All the men are laughing and playfully bumping one another with stuffed mouths.  He wishes he could join them, but something in him stops him and he just  _can't_.  He can't relate to anyone here, no one will understand him, what he's been through, what he's lost.  Jungkook's better off keeping to himself.

 

"No, I'll, um...  I'll just eat on my own if you don't mind," Jungkook tells him.

 

"Oh, okay," Jaeyoon grins, but it doesn't meet his eyes.  "Maybe next time."

 

Jungkook turns away before Jaeyoon can say anything else.  He sits down in his seat and jabs his chopsticks into his rice.   _You're so stupid!  Why couldn't you have said yes?!_  

 

Jungkook breathes through his nose as he chews on his food.  He closes himself off in his own little bubble as the sounds of eating and hearty conversations carry over him.  He wonders if he'll ever make a friend here like has with Yugyeom.  But that means Jungkook would have to put himself out there and he shivers at the thought of that.

 

Jungkook is almost done eating his dinner when a familiar form plops himself down across from him with a half-empty tray.

 

"Why do you always sit by yourself?  You should be getting to know the other soldiers," Yoongi says as he resumes eating.

 

Jungkook swallows down his food and glares at his father.  "Because I _choose_ to sit here, and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you—"

 

"Hm," Yoongi interrupts Jungkook nonchalantly as he takes a sip from his cup before he sets the cup down and raises an eyebrow.  "You wouldn't be here if you didn't get yourself into trouble.  I was actually going to give you the choice to join the Kingdom's army or do something else you wanted if we'd have gotten the chance to celebrate your graduation as we planned.  But I know you don't have any dreams.  You probably would have ended up here anyway."

 

Jungkook blood boils at that.  He sets his chopsticks down and clenches his jaw.  He's mad because Yoongi's right.  Jungkook didn't really have any plans after he graduated high school.  He was probably going to stay as long as he could under Yoongi's roof until he got the money to move out from helping the farmers in their fields.

 

"So you don't talk to me for weeks and now you're here to do what?  Tell me how disappointed you are in me?  That's nothing new," Jungkook scoffs.

 

A flash of hurt crosses Yoongi's features before it's quickly gone.  "No, that's not—this isn't how I wanted this conversation to go," Yoongi pauses to tut his tongue.  "I'm sorry, Jungkook, but I can't talk to you as your father like I want to every day in this setting...  But I came to talk to you tonight because the General wants me to."

 

"The General?"

 

"He's retiring in several years or so," Yoongi tells him straight.  "He wants me to take his position and he wants you to take mine."

 

"He...  The General wants me to be Lieutenant General?" Jungkook shakily asks.  "Why me?"

 

"Because you're talented, son.  The General, the other officers, and I have been watching you over these weeks.  _Y_ _ou_ stand out amongst all the other recruits here," Yoongi tells him fondly.  "I may have taught you some things, but when you're training out there, it's like you blossom into someone else.  You look like you have all the confidence in the world.  It's like you love what you're body can do when you push it, and it's a proud sight to see."

 

Jungkook stares at Yoongi, looking for any lies in his father's eyes, and when he doesn't he looks at his hands in lying in his lap.  He shrinks in at compliments being thrown at him, but does he really deserve it?

 

"But sometimes you push yourself too hard, Kook," Yoongi continues.  "I saw that look in your eyes earlier today.  Don't let revenge be the source of your power,  it'll stop you from performing at your best potential.  Don't let those flames consume you, Jungkook."

 

Jungkook chews on his bottom lip, thinking over Yoongi's words.  He's gotten better at controlling his anger the years, but he can't find anything to replace the loss of his mother.  Maybe if he agrees to follow his father's footsteps, things will be different.  Maybe life will start getting better.

 

So Jungkook makes that his dream.  Being the best he can be for himself, his mother, and Yoongi.  If he can't do anything else, he'll push his body to the limit and kill the people that took away his mother so that no other child will have to face the same troubles he has.

 

"I'll make sure I'm deserving of the title, Lieutenant General," Jungkook nods head.

 

A small grin laces Yoongi's lips as he rises from his seat.  "I'm sure you will, Jeon."

 

 

 

 

 

A week later, Jungkook is once again sitting by himself at the end of a table eating breakfast when he hears an officer yelling for the soldiers to quickly finish their food and meet at the middle of the training grounds.  Jungkook sighs heavily, shoveling one more spoonful of soup in his mouth before he pushes away from the table and throws away his tray.  He stands behind the group of soldiers with a small scowl on his face.

 

Yoongi appears in front of the crowd with a stoic face as officers trail behind him carrying barrels of wooden staffs, arrows, and bows.  He stands with his hands behind his back with perfect posture, his decorated uniform signifying his position as the Lieutenant General reflecting the morning's sun.

 

"Stand in line," Yoongi instructs.

 

The soldiers quickly fall in line at Yoongi's authoritative tone.  Jungkook swallows down his exasperation and stands in line next to a recruit he barely knows.

 

"Good morning," Yoongi greets as he walks down the long line of soldiers.  "As you know, you all graduate from training at the end of this week, but today instead of having our usual morning session, we will be doing something different today."

 

Jungkook can literally feel the soldiers near him wanting to groan.  They're all tired of surprises, they just want to graduate in one piece.

 

"Officer Han.  Shoot," Yoongi calmly says as he stops walking, and said officer bares his bow and arrow at one of the tall wooden poles overlooking the camp.  At the sound of the soft  _thunk_ of the arrow embedding itself in the wood, Yoongi snaps his head to a recruit near Jungkook and tilts his head.  "Recruit Choi, how strong do you think you are?"

 

Choi sputters at the sound of his name and he quickly straightens his posture.  "I-I think I'm pretty strong, sir!"

 

"Pretty strong, huh," Yoongi softly chuckles in amusement.  With his hands clasped behind his back, Yoongi stands in front of the soldier, looking him up and down before he looks him in the eyes.  "If you claim to be, how about you climb this pole and retrieve that arrow for me?"

 

"What—" Choi starts.

 

"Climb the pole and retrieve the arrow," Yoongi simply repeats over his shoulder as he moves to stand next to his fellow officers.  When the recruit doesn't move right away, Yoongi tuts his tongue with impatience.  "C'mon, Mr. Choi, we don't have all day to wait for you."

 

Choi breathes through his nose and cracks his knuckles as he walks over to the pole.

 

"Stop right there, Choi," Yoongi says suddenly.  

 

All the recruits, including Jungkook, stare at their Lieutenant General in confusion.

 

Yoongi gestures for an officer holding a box to follow him as he walks to Choi.  He pulls two heavy weights by their straps out of the box and he offers one of them to Choi, and Choi instantly buckles his knees to accommodate the sudden weight.

 

"This," Yoongi nods to the weight in Choi's right hand, "Represents discipline.  And this one represents strength," he says to the soldiers as he gives the other weight to Choi.  "You'll have to use both of them to successfully retrieve the arrow."

 

Yoongi backs away and Choi almost falls to the ground as he holds both of the weights.  He attempts to climb the pole, but begins to slip due to the added weight hanging on his hands.  He falls back to his feet in frustration.

 

"It seems like you're lacking the strength and discipline needed to complete the task, Choi.  Does anyone want to volunteer?" Yoongi asks over his shoulder as he takes the weights from Choi with ease.

 

Many of the soldiers fail to climb the pole.  Jungkook watches soldier after soldier sweat under the difficulty of climbing with the weights.  Something in Jungkook tells him to raise his hand, so he does.  "Me—I mean, uh," Jungkook stumbles over his words as everyone looks at him.  "I volunteer, sir."

 

Yoongi huffs a small smirk as Jungkook steps forward and Yoongi hands over the weights.  Jungkook sucks in a quick breath at the weight, but she's not straining as much as the other recruits.  He walks over to the pole and looks to the arrow at the top of the pole before he suddenly drops the weights.

 

"What are you doing—" an officer begins to yell, Yoongi quiets him with a raised hand.  

 

Jungkook places the weights on the other side of the pole before he walks around to the other side and grabs for the straps, letting the pole stand between them before he begins to tie them together.  Once he's done, he grabs a hold of the straps.

 

"You got this, Jungkook," he encourages himself under his breath.  "If all these people are watching you, you might as well show them what you're worth." 

 

He sucks in a quick breath before he throws the weights upward and quickly jumps to place his feet on either side of the wooden pole.  He repeats the motion over and over again, gaining leverage as makes his up the pole.

 

Yoongi watches Jungkook with careful eyes.  He didn't expect any of the soldiers to be able to do this.  The last time they did this task during boot camp was when Yoongi went through as a younger and more naive kid.  He was the only one to complete the task at the time and he shines with pride watching Jungkook.  Yoongi has to shield his eyes from the sun with his hand, but he continues to watch his son climb the pole.

 

With a loud grunt, Jungkook drops the weights once he reaches the top and he pulls out the arrow with the last bit of strength he has left.  He completely lets go of the pole and lands on the ground, knees giving out as his back collides with the grassy earth.

 

Everyone is speechless.  The General and the other officers disappear into a nearby tent with hushed whispers.  Jungkook's heavy breathing is the only sound on the campground as Yoongi walks towards him.  Jungkook huffs as he lifts his arm, offering the arrow to Yoongi.

 

Yoongi squats down, shading Jungkook from the hot sun.  Yoongi takes the arrow and places it on the ground before he looks to his, astonished by what he just did.  "Good work, Jeon.  You did amazing.  I'm proud so of you.  Look at what you can do when you know how much you're worth."

 

Yoongi has always told him he's worth more than gold.  Jungkook tiredly smiles and shuts his eyes.  His chest fills with something new, and it's a good feeling.  He knows Yoongi will always be proud of him no matter what he does, and Jungkook's just as impressed that he was able to do something he didn't think he could do.

 

His eyes flutter open.  He looks over Yoongi's head and up at the one small cloud hanging over them in the sky.

 

He knows his mother is proud, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**PART V**

_**A few months later** _

 

Yoongi stands with half-wilted flowers in his hand.  Jungkook is next to him, his head hung low as he stares at the tombstone in front of them. 

 

 _General Kim Wonpil_ _1750 - 1794_

_A Husband, Father, Bother, and Soldier_

_You Will Be Missed_

 

The ceremony for the funeral ended almost thirty minutes ago.  Wonpil's family is slowly trudging back to their carriage, but Yoongi can't seem to move.

 

The General died in his sleep two nights ago.  Yoongi knew of the man's heart condition, but Wonpil looked as healthy as ever when they retreated to their respective tents that night.  Yoongi feels like he should have done something to prevent it from happening, like if he prayed hard enough to the Sun to make Wonpil's ailments go away—

 

"Don't blame yourself, dad," Jungkook speaks.  "The doctors said he died of a heart attack...  You can't avoid a natural cause of death.  It wasn't your fault."

 

Yoongi snorts at his son in sad amusement.  He glances at the fresh dirt before the tombstone.  "You're starting to sound like me."

 

"Well, you never let me go a day without you giving me some of your 'Yoongi-wisdom'.  I blame you," Jungkook lightly jokes, trying to lift the mood.

 

Yoongi side-eyes Jungkook.  " _'Yoongi-wisdom'_?  Is that what you call my giving you life advice?" he says before he kneels to place the flowers atop the bed of dirt.  He stands with a slight grunt and slips his hands into his pockets, basking in the summer breeze.

 

Jungkook shrugs.  "It's got a certain ring to it.  I'm thankful for it."   _Especially now, knowing that anything could happen to you in a blink of an eye_ , he wants to say.

 

They both know that.  Yoongi is getting older and their late General died from a heart attack at the age of forty-four.

 

"He said he wanted to live long enough to see us catch Chan," Yoongi suddenly says.

 

Jungkook's head snaps to him at that.  "When did he say that?"

 

"Before he died in his sleep."

 

"But we haven't heard of any activity from the Seven since—"

 

"We have," Yoongi tells Jungkook as he turns and begins to walk to their carriage.  Before Jungkook can argue about him being unknowing of this information, Yoongi speaks again.  "We got word of a group of Sevens taking women from a village near the southern border two days ago, but when General Kim died that night, his funeral plans became the first priority.  No sighting of Chan, though.  Don't worry, we have groups from the military camps near the village looking for the missing women."

 

Jungkook remains silent as they walk.  Yoongi can tell his son is forming some kind of plan in his head, but before they can deal with the Sevens, they have different matters to attend to.

 

"You do realize what is going to happen now that we have no General," Yoongi says as they climb into their carriage.  Yoongi nods at coachman and the horses neigh as they begin to move.

 

"You get promoted," Jungkook answers.  "And your old position will be left empty."

 

"Unless someone fills it."

 

Jungkook stares at his father for a good three seconds and Yoongi watches realization quickly dawn over his face.  "Y-You don't mean..."

 

"General Kim wanted you to become Lieutenant General, Jungkook.  You're young but he saw you as only the person to fulfill the job if something ever happened to him.  You lack experience in the field, but you're highly skilled—"

 

"I'll do it," Jungkook suddenly says. 

 

The determination is set in his son's doe-like eyes makes Yoongi fills with pride.

 

Not even three days later, they receive word about the missing women.

 

"They were all dead, General.  We found them all at the bottom of an abandoned cave.  Their bodies were mangled and we suspect that they were all rap—"

 

Yoongi lifts a hand to quiet the soldier.  He can't let him finish the sentence.  The Sevens really are monsters.  "Any sightings of Chan?"

 

"Yes, sir.  In the swamplands."

 

Yoongi's mind runs to different conclusions at the information.  _Chan has been quiet for years.  Why has he been silent for so long?_   He lifts his head.  "Tell me everything you know."

 

 

 

 

 

Yoongi gathers his long hair into a tight bun before he opens the large doors to the horses' run-in shed.  He makes his way to his steed whilst nodding at the other horses that flick their ears at his presence.  Yoongi leans his elbows against the gate of his horse's stall as the animal approaches him, shaking its dark mane.

 

"Good morning, Cocoa."  Yoongi softly rubs his hand down the horse's face before he leans over to grab a few sugar cubes from a small bucket.  "Did you greet the Sun this morning?  Hm, girl?" Yoongi asks as the horse silently nibbles on the cubes in his palm.

 

Cocoa is an incredible steed in Yoongi's opinion, but she'll never compare to Moon.  She stuck by Yoongi's side until she grew too old to venture out on missions with him.

 

Yoongi wishes time could just stay still for a few moments.  He wishes he could reverse time and bond with Moon again, relive Jungkook growing up, tell Seungwan how he felt a little earlier—

 

"We're ready, sir," an officer tells him before he bows and exits the shed.

 

Yoongi opens the gate and saddles his horse before he gently pulls it into the daylight.  He mounts his horse and grabs hold of the leather lapels, trotting over to the group of soldiers waiting for his orders.  Some are on horses, some are sitting on large wagons and carriages.  Yoongi takes his place next to Jungkook, who is sitting on the steed he was gifted after he became Lieutenant General.

 

"We have word that the Sevens are hiding in the swamplands near the southern border," Yoongi loudly informs the large group, making a point to look everyone in the eyes.  "Our mission is to apprehend Chan and his men.  You all know the plan.  The chances are very likely that we will get into some form of combat with them.  Keep your contact at a minimum to prevent contraction of the virus.  Let's move!"

 

 

 

 

 

The sun is starting to go down when Jungkook looks over his back to check on the soldiers.  The sun is barely peeking through the trees as it sets and torches are lit to keep the ground visible. 

 

"General," Jungkookeventually speaks, finding that they are nearing the beginnings of the thick woods of the swamplands.  "I think we should stop here for the night.  Rest our horses and continue on tomorrow."

 

Yoongi raises a hand in signal to halt the movements of the group.  He looks around their surroundings and deems it worthy of a decent spot to make camp for a few hours. 

 

"Alright, we'll stop here," Yoongi announces to the group.  "Set up camp and a few low-burning fires to cook your meals.  We should reach Chan and his men by tomorrow evening.  Scouts, I want you to do a patrol of the perimeter and report back to me if you find anything.  Fall out."

 

Yoongi and Jungkook hop off of their horses and tie their reigns to the nearest trees.

 

"God, it's hot," Jungkook sighs.  He undoes the top buttons of his uniform before he helps the soldiers build a few campfires.

 

Yoongi tucks a few stray hairs behind his ears and helps with gathering blankets for the soldiers to lie on before checking in with the scouts as they make another round for their patrol. 

 

A few hours pass by and nighttime has settled in.  Yoongi sits on a blanket, eyeing the soldiers near him.  Some are asleep and others are quietly chatting amongst one another while keeping a look out before they rotate shifts.

 

Things are quiet.  Crickets and humidity fill the air. Yoongi undoes his tight bun, letting his long hair fall over his shoulders.  He lies on his back and just when his eyes flutter shut, a long groan sounds near him.

 

A wounded soldier appears out of the treeline.  His clothes are missing and a dirtied cloth is wrapped about his mouth, muffling his pained moans. 

 

Jungkook, always being the light sleeper that he is, jolts awake.  Yoongi quickly sits up and reaches for his sword.

 

"Help!" the soldier barely manages to say as he stumbles forward.  His cry for help wakes the other soldiers nearby.

 

Jungkook jumps to his feet and blinks the sleep away from his eyes.  "Jaeyoon?" he mutters.

 

Jaeyoon falls against a tree and yells out in pain.  He has multiple stab wounds lining in belly and blood is seeping down his naked pelvis.  His hair is disheveled and is covered in mud like he has been pushed face-first into the moist ground.

 

Jungkook is the first to move, catching Jaeyoon as he loses his footing.  Jaeyoon grips onto Jungkook for dear life as they both fall to their knees and Jungkook grunts to keep him upright.

 

"S-Sevens," Jaeyoon heavily breathes before collapses into Jungkook's chest.  A thick arrow is lodged into his back.

 

Jungkook's eyes bug wide as Jaeyoon's limp body falls to the ground.  "Everyone, wake up!" he screams.  "We're under attack!"

 

The whole militia startles and roars in panic.  Yoongi turns to an officer near him and he's about to give him a command when an arrow whizzes by his ear and strikes the officer between the eyes.  The officer falls into the campfire behind him and the cloth beneath his armor goes up into flames.  Their horses neigh in panic, rising on their hind legs and stomping the ground.  The soldiers cut the ropes binding the horses to the trees.

 

"They have arrows!" Yoongi yells as a horse runs in front of him.  He throws himself to the ground crawls to the nearest wagon holding weapons.  He commands the soldiers around him to grab swords, bows, arrows as he squats and reaches into the wagon to arm himself.  

 

Jungkook hears the faint sounds of horses and yelling in the distance.  He swears he sees the faintest of bright yellow eyes through the trees.   _The_ _Sevens_.  He scurries away from the treeline, tripping over blankets and dead soldiers before he finds his father.

 

"General, we're surrounded," Jungkook informs him as he reaches into the wagon to arms himself.  He's thankful he slept with his armor on.

 

Thunder suddenly roars overhead and lightning cracks through the sky, striking a tree in the distance, briefly revealing dark silhouettes behind the treeline.

 

The hairs on Yoongi's arms raise as the first drops of rain begin to trickle down on them.  _A thunderstorm_ , Yoongi scoffs in his head.   _Just what we need at a time like this._

 

Another arrow flies over their heads and kills another soldier.  Yoongi and Jungkook scramble on their hands and knees to the trees nearest to them, resting their backs against the soggy bark as they ready their own bow and arrows.  More screams are heard nearby as other soldiers are struck with arrows, some being hit in their limbs and others taking on fatal wounds.

 

"Push the wagons over!  Use them as barricades!" Yoongi commands over the cry of the rain.  Both Yoongi and Jungkook rise to their knees, peeking behind the trees and rearing back their bows.  "Ready!"

 

The sun is beginning to rise on the horizon, not able to be seen through the dark clouds but just visible enough to grant a perceptible change in light to see their enemies.

 

Jungkook's eyes widen as he makes out an open field where a large group of Sevens is running towards them.  They almost blend in into the scenery behind them if you weren't looking carefully enough. 

 

Yoongi aims right for a Seven on the front line.  "Aim, fire!"

 

Arrows from the Kingdom's army blast through the trees and into the open field, knocking a good amount of Sevens to the ground as other Sevens trample over dead bodies.

 

Jungkook's ears raise with adrenaline and his spins on his knee, shooting a Seven and sending another through the air to kill another Seven behind him.  Jungkook runs behind another tree and checks through the brush to see if any remaining Sevens trying to attack them from behind.  When he doesn't see any, he hollers, "Scouts, check and guard the perimeter!  Semicircle formation!" before retreats back to Yoongi's side.  

 

"We have to move out into the field," Yoongi grunts.  "They're gonna corner us if we stay here."

 

Jungkook nods.  "The scouts are taking care of the Sevens with arrows, we should be able to fight them head-on now."

 

Yoongi and his son rise to their feet in unison.  They both whistle for their horses and mount them with ease before tying handkerchiefs around their mouths.  Yoongi unsheathes his metal sword and holds it in the air, "Everyone, charge forward!"

 

Jungkook rears his horse and gallops through the treeline.  He finds they have the same amount of men on both sides of the fight.   _This should be an easy victory_ , he thinks. 

 

He takes out his sword and easily runs it through a few Sevens.  Dark blood sprays through the air and Jungkook keeps his mouth tightly shut even under his handkerchief, not wanting to get any infected blood into his mouth.  His men fight at his side while the other officers on horses charge into the fight as well.

 

Yoongi's horse neighs in disdain as it tramples over a few Sevens here and there.  The Sevens are somewhat dwindling in number, but they seem to be almost as good in combat as his own men.

 

Jungkook jumps off his horse before he runs and sends his sword through a Seven's throat.  The man chokes on the metal lodged through his neck and coughs out blood that lands on Jungkook's cheeks as he falls to the ground.  Jungkook swivels around, bringing out a leg to trip another Seven and he shoves his sword through their chest.  

 

The Sevens' eyes don't scare Jungkook anymore, it only fuels the flame of anger in him.

 

Jungkook heavily breathes, his eyes scanning the fight to find the one named Chan.  Jungkook spots a dark figure in the distance, a devilish smile growing on their face as they raises their sword in the air and strike down on one of Jungkook's men.

 

"Chan," Jungkook mutters under his breath as stalks through the crowd.  A pair Sevens try to block Jungkook's path of revenge, but he kills them both with a few measured flicks of his sword.

 

Jungkook can hear his father calling out for him, but the heavy rain drowns out the sound.

 

Chan rises as pulls out his sword from the man he just killed.  His is sword dripping with blood as he turns around, spotting Jungkook right away.  Chan spits at the ground before he sends the heel of his foot down, smashing in the head of Jungkook's dead comrade.  He steps forward, bits of brain stuck to his boot as he faces Jungkook.

 

Chan suddenly runs forward and his yellow eyes glow with adrenaline.  Jungkook grips the handle his sword and attempts to swing it at Chan's head, but Chan is quick to duck his head and kick Jungkook's knees out from under him.  Jungkook falls to the ground with a grunt and Chan climbs over him, pining Jungkook's right hand that is holding a sword against the ground while Chan brings down his own sword over Jungkook's neck.

 

Jungkook's left hand quickly comes out and he grabs Chan's sword by the blade.  The metal pierces Jungkook's hand as holds the sword away from his neck.

 

Chan grins down at Jungkook, his translucent skin stretching over the bone of his cheeks.  "You got some fight in you, don't you?"

 

Jungkook yells out in agony as his blood pools in his palm and runs down his hand.  A bomb suddenly goes off near them and Chan looks up at the commotion.  His grip loosens from Jungkook's arm and Jungkook takes that as an opportunity to bring his sword forward.  He slices part of Chan's ear off before Chan rolls away.

 

Jungkook clenches his injured hand and stands to his feet.  He goes into a full-on sword fight with Chan.  Their blades loudly clash against one another as the rain begins to pick up.

 

Jungkook surges forward and Chan barely avoids the younger's quick movement before Jungkook's sword slices through Chan's face.  He leaves a painful-looking cut running diagonally from the inside of Chan's left eyebrow down to the corner of his mouth.

 

"You!"  Blood streams down Chan's face and he roars with anger.  He charges for Jungkook again before a hand-made bomb lands near them and suddenly explodes, sending them flying away from each other.

 

 

 

 

 

" _Jungkook!_ " Yoongi desperately shouts.  He grunts against the weight of his tired legs as he runs towards Jungkook.  The wet mud sticking to the bottom of his heavy boots isn't helping him get to his son any faster.

 

Yoongi yells out in frustration as he trudges through the rain.  Jungkook lies face down on the ground and he's making effort no move to stand or even lift his head.  

 

 _Oh God, he could be dead._   Why doesn't Jungkook ever listen to him?  He's always looking to do things on his own in every situation.

 

Yoongi skids across the loose mud once he's close enough and grabs the lapels of Jungkook's armor.  He pulls the younger out of the shallow puddle of dark water before he flips Jungkook over onto his back, hurriedly checking his body for any fatal wounds.  Jungkook's face is covered in mud and Yoongi does his best to wipe the grit from his son's eyes.

 

"Jungkook!"  Yoongi yells over the booming thunder.  He yells again in exasperation and grips both of his hands onto Jungkook's collar, slightly lifting his body from the ground.  "I need you to wake up, son!  Can you hear me!?"

 

Yoongi leans over Jungkook's face, hovering his left ear over Jungkook's nose.  He waits with bated breath until he feels faint puffs of air coming out of Jungkook's mouth and he sighs in partial relief.

 

Yoongi lets go of Jungkook's collar and the younger falls back into the mud with a wet thud.  Jungkook's face begins to crinkle with budding awareness as droplets of rain begin to hit his face.  Yoongi wearily sits back on his butt with his legs bent towards his chest and his hands resting on the peaks of his knees, knowing Jungkook is going to be alright, and he winces at the feeling of his butt sinking into the cold, wet ground. 

 

"Yah, Jeon Jungkook.  Wake up so I can tell how utterly stupid you are," he tiredly says as the last of the adrenaline leaves his veins.

 

"Hm," Jungkook deeply inhales and his eyes slowly flutter open.  "What...  What happened?"

 

"A _bomb_ is what happened," Yoongi says gravely as he notices blood and the patches of burned skin on Jungkook's hands.  He stands and places his hands on his hips before he angrily paces back and forth next to Jungkook's body.  "And he's gone.  He and the rest of his men disappeared like smoke from thin air."

 

Jungkook moves to rise from the ground, but the sole of Yoongi's boot is quick to slam him back into the mud.

 

"Stay down until I tell you otherwise," Yoongi starts authoritatively as he keeps his foot pressed down against the younger's chest.  "You are such a fool.  Why don't you ever listen to what I say, Kook?  I told you to never let your anger get the best of you.  What if that bomb went off right at your feet, huh?  What if Chan somehow managed to kill you—"

 

"Well, those things _didn't_ happen," Jungkook says in a fed-up way as he glares back up at Yoongi.  "I can handle myself.  I'm not a child."

 

"Obviously not," Yoongi spits back.  "And the last thing you want to do is interrupt me, son.  Especially not after you disobeyed my orders," he warns.

 

Jungkook silently turns his head then, facing away from both Yoongi's scowl and the pelting rain.  He remains quiet for a long time, and Yoongi lets him be as the pressure of his foot disappears.

 

"I need you to understand that you can't do everything on your own, Jungkook.  Look around you," Yoongi tells him.  He looks forward as Jungkook watches the hooves of horses and the feet of his fellow comrades pass by.  "No one walks alone in life.  You should understand this now that you're a part of the military."

 

"I am alone," Jungkook says quietly.  "I don't know anyone here.

 

"Because you haven't made an effort to," Yoongi quickly reprimands him.  "I've seen how you are around the camp.  Stop acting like you're the only one who's lost their mother, Jungkook.  There are people all around you that have been through much worse and have lost so much more than you.  You're almost nineteen now.  You may be young, but that doesn't give you a reason to act like a child and throw tantrums so the other soldiers will avoid you."

 

Jungkook's eyes are turning red and tears are threatening to spill over.  He clenches his jaw and bites the inside of his cheek, trying to keep his internal dam from breaking.  "Stop talking like you know everything about me," he says weakly.

 

Yoongi airily chuckles at Jungkook.  He really does love the boy, but Jungkook can be so difficult and clueless for his good sometimes. 

 

"I've been raising you for the last twelve years.  I think I know more about you than you  give me credit for.  I'm always going to be here for you Jungkook, no matter how much you push me away when you're upset," Yoongi sighs.  "I know you've been hurting all this time, but don't wallow in your sorrow, Jungkook.  You'll get absolutely nowhere doing that."

 

Jungkook seems to calm at Yoongi's words.  But the pent up vexations within him still hide under the surface.

 

"Jungkook, my son," Yoongi tenderly calls the younger out of his thoughts.  "I can never be mad at you, only the decisions you choose to make.  So start making good ones, ones that don't get you almost killed...  And _maybe_ ones that can get you a girlfriend or something," he lightly teases as he stretches a calloused hand to his son.  "I feel like I'm never going to receive grandkids by the way you always keep to yourself."

 

Jungkook cracks a sated smile before he takes his father's hand and rises to his feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**PART VI**

_**a few years later** _

 

Things change when a twenty-five-year-old Jungkook meets a shy, eighteen-year-old Taehyung.  The boy is a nervous wreck, his hands are clammy, and his long hair is a  _very_ unnatural shade of red.

 

"U-um, I'm Taehyung," the younger moves to shake Jungkook's hand.  "Just Taehyung." 

 

Jungkook lifts a questioning eyebrow at that, but he doesn't say anything.

 

When Jungkook meets Sooyoung, his heart of melts for her a little bit.  She's strong, he can tell by the way he wrestles handcuffs on to her, and she's beautiful.  If he didn't have to arrest her, he would definitely find a way to get to know her.

 

He finds that Sooyoung is also very stubborn, which makes him lose his patience with her.

 

"Are you crazy?!  You can't make me do that!"

 

"I'm giving you two options!" Jungkook yells back.  "You either join the military or face a death penalty for stealing royal property!"

 

Sooyoung groans and sits back in her chair as Jungkook cools himself down.

 

"Why are you trying to help me?" Sooyoung asks.  "Don't you want me dead?"

 

"I…  Listen, I get why you stole the crown—and I don't let people off like this—but…  I saw the look on your brother's face and how sick he looked," Jungkook sighs.  "I'm gonna be honest, we've never had a case like this before, and on top of boys from the kingdom going missing since the draft started, all my men and I are scrambling to keep this quiet so we don't alert General Min, the royal family, or the public.  The execution of a woman has never happened here, so please reconsider the choices I am giving you."

 

Sooyoung hesitantly opens her mouth, "I'll—"

 

"Sooyoung," Taehyung suddenly pushes the door open.

 

"Taehyung," she stands and rounds the table.  She grabs onto Taehyung's arm with her cuffed hands, "I heard your father bailed you out.  What are you still doing here?  You need to go back home."

 

Jungkook slowly rises from his seat and adjusts his outfit.

 

"I can't.  I can't go back to my dad right now," Taehyung shakes his head.

 

Jungkook eyes Taehyung in question.  _His father seemed so willing to bail out his son.  Why didn't Taehyung go with him?_ Well, Jungkook could use an extra body in the Kingdom's military.

 

"You ever thought about joining the army?" Jungkook calmly speaks.

 

"No," Taehyung honestly says.

 

"Well, do you want to?"

 

"As long as Sooyoung comes, too."

 

"Well, then.  Kim Taehyung, Park Sooyoung," Jungkook huffs with a small smirk.  "Welcome to the army."

 

 

 

 

 

Jungkook enters the tent and finds Yoongi standing before a large map detailing villages and cities surrounding the Kingdom.

 

"The Sevens have struck here, here, and there," Yoongi gestures across the map with his tasseled pointing stick.  "I'll take the main troops up into the mountains and stop Chan's men before they conquer another village.  We will also look for the two scouts I sent out a few days ago."

 

"And what do you want me to do, sir?" Jungkook asks.

 

"You will stay here," The General pours himself a cup of tea takes a short sip.  "I want you training the new recruits."

 

"What?" Jungkook raises his eyebrows.  "I thought you wanted me on the front line.  We almost caught Chan with my help last time."

 

"And you almost died at his hands after you cut his face open," Yoongi retorts.  "I know it's horrible to say this, but the troops out there are expendable,  _you_  are not.  Things are tight around here and no one is in the same ranking as you at the moment."

 

"But—"

 

"You'll get your chance at Chan again, I'll make sure of it when we know how close we are to catching him again," Yoongi softly says.  "You're number one in your class, Jungkook.  I know what you're capable of out there in the field, but right now we need your expert knowledge of training techniques to stay in this camp." 

 

Jungkook curtly nods his head and follows the General out of the tent.  "I won't let you down."

 

"Very well," Yoongi says as he mounts his horse.  "I expect a full report of the new recruits' progress in three weeks."

 

Yoongi breathes in the autumn air as his troops obediently follow him out of the campsite and into the forest.  He doesn't know why Chan always hides away for years and then suddenly reappears again.

 

His mind goes back to what Namjoon told him a few days ago.

 

 

_"Yoongi, if you ever end up finding him...  His hair is red."_

 

 _Yoongi's eyebrows furrow in concern. "_ _What?"_

 

_Namjoon looks down at his hands.  "When Taehyung was born...Solbin was sick.  Do you remember when we sent out groups of soldiers into the woods to find a cure before she went into labor?"_

 

_Yoongi does remember.  He was a part of one of those groups.  But why is Namjoon telling him this now?_

 

_"Well, we found it.  A red flower."_

 

 

Yoongi shakes head.  He thinks there's no way the lost Prince could be alive.  If Taehyung hasn't come back all these years then neither will Seungwan.  Yoongi thinks Namjoon shouldn't get his hopes up.  He let go of his hope a long time ago.

 

 

 

 

 

Jungkook quickly notices that Sooyoung and Taehyung are stronger together than they are apart.  Taehyung may be timid, but he's loyal to anyone he befriends.  Sooyoung has a relentless strength that can contend with Jungkook on the outside, but she's soft on the inside if she lets you in. 

 

But Jungkook knows that Taehyung's weakness is his naivety and the anger hiding beneath toughness Sooyoung's will be her downfall.  He can see parts of himself in both of them as he watches them train over the weeks that pass.  Maybe that's why he wants Taehyung to come out of his shell, and maybe that's why starts to fall for Sooyoung—

 

"Lieutenant General Jeon?  You're kinda holding up the line."

 

The sounds of people eating and talking floats into Jungkook's ears.  He looks up and realizes he's been staring at his dinner tray.  Sooyoung is standing in line next to him, she's eyeing the soup that Jungkook is currently blocking.

 

"Oh, sorry," Jungkook coughs as he dumps a bit a soup on his tray and shuffles forward.  He looks away in hopes that Sooyoung doesn't catch him blushing.

 

Jungkook grabs a few utensils, looking back just in time to find Sooyoung standing still and longingly looking to where Taehyung is sitting.  He guesses the two are still in a disagreement about what happened the other day during training.  Jungkook didn't mean to eavesdrop on their argument after Jimin beat up Sooyoung.

 

Jungkook can tell Sooyoung likes Taehyung.  He can see it in her eyes.   _Maybe we can just be friends_ , he thinks.

 

"Would you like to sit with me?" Jungkook suddenly says to her.  He jerks his chin over to the table with a few soldiers when Sooyoung is slow to respond.

 

"Sure."

 

Jungkook can feel Taehyung's eyes boring into him as he makes conversation with Sooyoung and the other soldier, but he ignores it.  He stomach flips when he finally gets her to laugh, and that's enough for him.

 

 

 

 

Jungkook is watching his soldiers practice shooting arrows when the doors to the campsite burst open.  The Kingdom's soldiers ride in on their horses with other men carrying wounded bodies on bloody cots in tow.

 

Yoongi is limping through the gates with the help of another soldier.  He's covered in cuts and ash. 

 

Yoongi feels his son's presence as he slips his arm across Yoongi's back.  He shakes his head when he notices Jungkook is walking him the direction of the medical tent.  "I don't need to see a doctor.  I just have a bruised rib.  Take me to my tent," he huffs, leaving no room for Jungkook to argue.

 

They remain silent until they enter the confines of Yoongi's tent.  Yoongi gently pushes Jungkook's arm away and he hobbles over to his cot.  He grunts as he lays atop the bed and he breathes raggedly through his nose.  

 

"Dad," Jungkook says as he pours some water from a pitcher into a bowl and grabs a rag.  He moves to sit on the edge of his father's bed and begins to clean the dried blood and dirt from Yoongi's face.  "Don't you think it's time you lead from the headquarters instead of fighting on the front line?"

 

Yoongi knew this was coming.  He may be forty-three now, but he swears he's fine.  He may have a bit of arthritis in his left knee, but he's _fine_.  "Jungkook, we already talked about this."

 

"And you always give me the same answer," Jungkook says to him.  "You always come back with some kind of injury, and it takes longer for you to heal each time.  I'm not trying to call you old," he raises his hand before his father can speak, "But you're not as young as you used to be.  As your son, how am I not supposed to worry?"

 

Yoongi sighs and says nothing for a long time.  "We spotted Chan," he says instead, changing the subject.  "He's a few miles just past the mountains.  He was waiting for us.  His men got to us first.  We did some damage to them and tried to save most of the people from the village as it burned down, but his men did worse to us."

 

Yoongi doesn't include the crude images he saw after the Seven disappeared into thin air during the fight.  The village was burned down to the ground.  Soot hung in the air.  Mangled limbs lie on the ground from explosions.  Children were found weeping near dead bodies. A few women were found near the mountains, their clothes ripped and their legs stained with blood. 

 

The Sevens are relentless and they need to put a stop to them  _now_.

 

"We can send the recruits out there.  They're ready, I can lead them out there now and—"

 

"Slow down, Jungkook," Yoongi silences his son as he closes his eyes out of tiredness.  "We need to have a briefing before we go back out there.  You know this."

 

Jungkook internally curses himself at his impulsiveness.  He cleans the last of the blood from Yoongi's face and wrings out the dirty rag.  The water is a nasty mixture of brown and red.  "You never answered my question."

 

Yoongi is almost asleep, but he cracks an eye open at his son.  "We'll talk about it after the war."

 

"But—"

 

"Just let me have this, son," Yoongi sighs.  "You'll know how this feels when you're my age.  Hopefully, you'll have settled down by then," he sleepily smiles.

 

"Okay," Jungkook quietly says.

 

Not long after that, a whistle suddenly sounds through the air.  The sound of soldiers running to the middle of the campsite surrounds Yoongi and Jungkook.

 

"Everyone, gear up," Jungkook announces as his eyes find Taehyung and Sooyoung in the crowd.  "We're going to war."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Lemme know what you think, I am very appreciative of feedback.
> 
> See you in the next chapter ~


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

**PART VII**

 

 

Jungkook violently coughs at the smoke filling his nose and he squints through the fog only to see a pair of striking yellow eyes making their way towards him.

 

He belatedly realizes it's Chan when the older tackles Jungkook to the ground and straddles Jungkook's body as he unsheathes his sword.  He lifts it above his head and loudly cries, "This is for my people!"

 

Jungkook prepares himself for death, looking Chan in the eyes.  He may die at the hands of a Seven like his mother, but at least Jungkook will die knowing he fought for her.

 

Chan strikes his sword right into Jungkook's chest before he sputters awake. 

 

Jungkook is drenched in sweat as he rises from his bed.  He grimaces at the dull pain in his shoulder as he quickly dresses.  The nurses wouldn't let Jungkook see Yoongi when they returned to camp, and that only made Jungkook madder when they ordered him to rest.  The faster he pulls on his pants, the faster he'll get to check on his father.

 

He pushes the doors to the tent open, startling a nurse as she's packing up her medical kit.

 

"Jungkook, you should be resting," Yoongi yawns from his bed.  His long hair lies splayed atop his pillow.  The lack of a shirt is revealing the large bandage wrapped around his abdomen.

 

Jungkook steps forward with concern lacing his eyebrows.  "Are you—"

 

"I'm fine," Yoongi waves his son off when Jungkook attempts to touch the bandage.  "Nothing more than a surface wound, Kook."

 

"He had to get stitches," the nurse nonchalantly informs Jungkook.

 

Yoongi lifts his head and scoffs.  "I thought we agreed not to tell—"

 

"Make sure he doesn't move much for the next few days.  I or another nurse will be around to check on him soon."  She bows to both men as she exits the tent.

 

Jungkook pulls up a chair next to Yoongi's bed.  He watches Yoongi as he lies with his eyes closed.  Jungkook was so close to losing to his father a few hours ago.  Jungkook doesn't know what he would have done if he did.

 

"Chan is dead," Jungkook eventually tells him, breaking the silence.

 

"I know," Yoongi hums, keeping his eyes closed.  "I'm glad he didn't disappear this time.  Tell me how it happened."

 

 

 

 

 

Jungkook can't help but watch as Chan slices his sword right through Sooyoung's armor.  Sooyoung's face shrinks in pain as she cups her stomach with her arm and she falls to the ground as Taehyung cries for her.

 

While Chan is distracted, Jungkook reaches for a jagged rock at his side and smashes it on Chan's temple.  Chan groans at the impact and Jungkook pulls a small knife out of the front of his utility belt before he jams it into Chan's throat. 

 

Chan chokes on the sudden intrusion and collapses to the ground with a hard thud.  Thick blood gushes from his neck and onto the floor as Hoseok drags Jungkook from underneath Chan's heavy legs.

 

"Lieutenant General!  Are you okay?" Hoseok hurriedly asks as he kneels at Jungkook's side.

 

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jungkook breathes from the ground before he looks up at Hoseok.  "Thanks." 

 

Jungkook glances over to Chan.  He can't believe he's staring at the older man's dead body.  He's been on a path to revenge for last _eighteen_ years and now its finally over.  Jungkook stares at his hands.  They're sore and battered from war, but he'd use those same hands to hold his mother if he could.

 

He doesn't know how to feel right now other than distraught.  Does he feel proud of killing Chan?  He doesn't.  Does he feel accomplished?  He doesn't.

 

" _Hey, we have a wounded soldier over here!_ "

 

Jungkook's eyes land on Sooyoung, whose body is slumped against the wall of the cave they are in.  Blood is staining her uniform and her face is starting to go pale.

 

Taehyung and Jungkook both run over to her and they drop to their knees as a few soldiers gather behind them.

 

Jungkook's eyes widen at Sooyoung's fatal state.  "We need to get her to a doctor," he says over Taehyung's shoulder.

 

Taehyung quickly takes off his helmet, revealing his long red hair.  "There's no time!"

 

"T-Tae," Sooyoung thickly coughs up a bit of blood and tries to sit up.  "I-It hurts, it hurts."

 

"I know, I know, baby.  I'm so sorry, just lemme—" he shushes her as he carefully takes off her upper-body armor.

 

Jungkook's heart falls at that.  Taehyung and Sooyoung must be closer than he realizes.

 

Taehyung hurriedly moves to take down the braids from his hair.  "Everything's going to be alright, okay?"

 

Sooyoung weakly pushes Taehyung's long hair away from her wound. "No, Taehyung.  Y-you can't!"

 

"It'll be just like when I healed your hand in the forest," Taehyung reasons as he pulls Sooyoung's hand away.  "You just gotta trust me, Sooyoung, please."

 

Jungkook looks at Taehyung in confusion.  _'Just like when I healed your hand in the forest'?  What does that mean?_

 

"N-No, it won't be like the forest," Sooyoung tries to explain as she slumps further onto the floor.  "You could die if you heal me this time!"

 

"I'm not going to let you die here," Taehyung says as he places his a hand on the side of her neck and softly caresses the skin there with the pad of his thumb.  "One of us has to keep living.  You have to experience all the good things the world has in store for the both of us since I won't be able to."

 

Sooyoung places her hand over his as a tear runs down her cheek, "But nothing in this world is good without you."

 

"Taehyung," Jungkook starts as Sooyoung's eyes flutter closed.  They need to do something,  _anything_.  Time is running out too quickly and Jungkook is realizing Sooyoung is dying.

 

"No, I-I can heal her!" Taehyung says as he places his hair over her wound.  His thick hair soaks up the dark blood leaking from Sooyoung's abdomen.  Taehyung takes one of Sooyoung's limp hands into his own as he begins to sing, "Tresses gleam and glow."

 

Jungkook shifts forward.  "What are you doing—"

 

"L-Let you power shine," Taehyung continues to sing the lullaby as his red roots catch with a pink fire.  The fire licks down his neck, illuminating a soft light along either side of his jaw before it travels down his back and calmly glows over his body. 

 

Gasps fall from a few soldiers' lips as the pink glow from Taehyung's hair fills the small space.  Jungkook watches as the hair that is resting on the floor grows in color.

 

"Heal what has been hurt, stitch and sew what's harmed," Taehyung squeezes Sooyoung's hand.  "Make the time rewind."

 

Jungkook flinches when Taehyung's voice breaks, but the younger keeps singing as the hair lying on top of Sooyoung begins to grow in color.

 

"Bring back the dream I've lost...  The dream I've lost," Taehyung whispers the changed lyrics as he lifts Sooyoung's hand and presses the tips of her fingers to his lips. 

 

Jungkook grows even more concerned when Taehyung's skin goes pale.  Taehyung closes his tear-filled eyes and softly kisses the inside of Sooyoung's palm before he faints.  Jungkook is quick to catch him.

 

All the soldiers stare in shock as Jungkook carefully lies Taehyung on his back next to Sooyoung.

 

Jimin is the first to speak.  "Are they both dead?"

 

Jungkook leans over Taehyung's face.  He barely catches a few shallow breaths before he leans away.  "Taehyung's alive, but—"  He looks at Sooyoung.  Her head hangs to the side against the ground and her hand limply lies in Taehyung's.

 

"What should we do?"  Hoseok asks.

 

Jungkook to his feet and looks at all the comrades left.  "Take Taehyung and Sooyoung back to camp.  The scouts will stay and search through the rubble for any survivors."

 

 

 

 

 

Yoongi opens his eyes as Jungkook finishes recalling the events of what happened.  As soon as he mentions that one of the soldiers has red hair, he starts listening more intently.

 

_Could it be?  No there's no way._

 

"Where is he?  The one with the red hair," Yoongi clarifies when Jungkook's eyebrows pinch together.

 

Jungkook straightens up in his chair.  "Taehyung?  He's resting in his tent."

 

Yoongi begins to rise from his sheets.  "I need to talk to him.  He—"

 

"Dad, what are you doing?  You're going to rip your stitches."  Jungkook stops him and gently pushes Yoongi back down to the bed.  "Why do you need to talk to him?"

 

Yoongi winces at the faint pain in his abdomen and curses under his breath at the pull of the stitches holding his skin together.  Yoongi knows he needs to be on bed-rest for the time being, but his mind is going haywire at the thought of the lost prince being right under his nose this whole time.

 

"I need to speak that other soldier, too," Yoongi says instead.  "The one that caused the avalanche."  He turns his head to Jungkook then.  "The one that happens to be a  _woman_.  Jeon Jungkook,  how could you go behind my back and—"

 

"I had good reason to, dad!" Jungkook tries to reason as Yoongi's face grows angrier.  "What would the Kingdom think if we hung a woman in the middle of the city?  I gave her a choice to serve her time here than die.  If she wasn't fighting alongside us, we would've died on the mountain and you know it."

 

Yoongi sighs at that.  He knows Jungkook's right.  He's so tired.  "We can talk about it later.  Let me know when they both wake up."

 

Yoongi closes his eyes again and Jungkook takes that as his cue to return to his own tent.  He rises from his chair and moves it away from the bed.

 

"Jungkook," Yoongi sleepy calls before Jungkook can leave.  "How are you?"

 

Jungkook falters.  "I...  I honestly don't know.  I got the revenge I've always wanted for my mother, but it doesn't feel like it."  He pushes his hair away from his face.  "Chan's dead...  I mean, I should be happy, right?"

 

"I don't think happy would be the right word.  I think you're feeling this way because you no longer feet the need to avenge your mother," Yoongi tells him.  He peeks an eye open.  "You found another dream, son.  Your life was only hanging on a string of revenge until after you became Lieutenant General.  I think you forgot all about avenging your past after that, right?"

 

Jungkook nods as Yoongi fully opens his eyes.

 

"You don't have to feel a certain way about it, just know that you fulfilled your duty in the position that you worked so hard for.  You know, watching you all these years makes me feel like I have taken life for granted at times.  I know your mother never missed a day of loving you and I sure haven't while raising you, no matter how many tantrums you threw."

 

They both chuckle at that.  A small smile crosses Jungkook's face.

 

"I'm proud of how you changed your life for the better, son," Yoongi says quietly.  Sleep is pulling at him, but he just has let Jungkook know his thoughts.  "I won't be here forever, but just know I'll always be here for you even when I'm gone, your mother is here for you, and whoever else you let into your life will be there for you, too.  Please remember that."

 

Jungkook holds back his tears as he nods, not trusting his voice.  He'll always remember that.

 

Three days later, Jungkook enters the Taehyung's tent.  He's relieved to see Taehyung awake.  "Taehyung, you've been asleep for quite awhile."

 

Taehyung looks between Hoseok and Jungkook in question before he asks, "How long was I gone?"

 

"Just over two days," Jungkook responds.

 

"And what about Sooyoung?  I-Is she okay?  Where is she?" Taehyung asks.

 

General Min suddenly comes into the room with Sooyoung and Jimin in tow as Hoseok stands to join Jimin at his side.  There's a slight glow to her skin and she looks a little younger.

 

"Tae," Sooyoung softly cries as she runs to sit on the edge of the bed and she wraps her arms around him.  She buries her face in the crook of neck and Taehyung holds her even tighter.

 

Taehyung freezes at his actions and his eyes snap to the General.

 

Yoongi looks to Taehyung with hard eyes just for a moment before he simply says, "The both of you are crazy."

 

"Who would've imagined a woman in the army," Hoseok chirps loudly.  "I can't deny she fought better than all of us combined."

 

"I second that," Jimin coyly grins from Hoseok's side.

 

Sooyoung lets go of Taehyung and she sheepishly tucks her hair behind one of her ears.  Taehyung looks the Lieutenant General in question.

 

"Don't worry, I told him everything," Jungkook says as he crosses his arms over his chest.  "More like  _forced_ , but—"

 

"I would have done the same if I was in Jungkook's place, and even though it is against the law, I'll let it slide," the Yoongi says as he clasps a hand over his son's shoulder.  "Plus, Jungkookie and I both owe Miss Sooyoung our lives.  Too bad you've taken a liking a to Mister Taehyung here or you would be the perfect woman to finally put Jungkook in his place."

 

"Dad!"

 

The tent lights up with light laughter at that.

 

Taehyung clears his throat before he seriously asks, "General Min, how are you doing?  I heard you were wounded during the battle."

 

"Oh, I'm alright," Yoongi waves him off.  "Just a flesh wound."

 

The tent grows quiet as the Yoongi takes a step deeper into the room.  He rests his hands over his hips and nods his head at Taehyung's hair, "I think we all need an explanation about that."

 

"Oh," Taehyung bashfully says as he reaches to his side and lifts a few strands of his hair into his hands. 

 

The strands are still loose from when he took down a few braids to heal Sooyoung.  Jungkook sees that the younger's hair isn't red as it used to be.  It's turned more of a russet brown compared to the vibrant red that it was a few days ago.

 

"My hair has been like this for as long as I can remember," Taehyung distantly says as he looks down at his hair.  "My hair can heal people and turn them younger when I sing a certain song.  I-I've grown it out this long because...my dad," he takes a deep breath, "He said that if I were to cut it, my hair would lose all of its power."

 

"So it is you," Yoongi says after a moment, his face unreadable.

 

Taehyung's thick eyebrows furrow at that, "What do you mean?"

 

"I think we should all get some sleep," the Yoongi says instead as slightly nods his head, his eyes never leaving Taehyung.  "You're meeting the King and Queen in the morning so, uh...rest up."

 

 

 

 

 

"Seungwan, wake up."

 

Seungwan blinks away the sleep from her eyes as she rises from her spot on the floor of the small hut she's been staying in for the last eighteen years.

 

"Jisoo, why are you here so early?" Seungwan yawns.  "Is Junghee having another seizure?"

 

Jisoo sits in her knees.  She nervously wrings out her dirty fingers before she says, "Our leader—Chan, he's dead."

 

"What?" Seungwan's eyes widen.  She almost wants to cry in relief.  "H-How?"

 

"Kingdom soldiers," Jisoo answers.  "I heard the guards talking.  He was killed when he tried to ambush them."

 

Seungwan stares at Jisoo in disbelief.  A monster, who encouraged his men to torment the people on the island for years on end is finally gone.

 

"But that isn't all," Jisoo continues.  "The ones who were infected, they're all...healed somehow."

 

Seugwan stumbles out of her hut.  The men guarding her tent are no longer there to punish her and throw her around.  The island is eerily calm this morning.  Usually, children are crying and women are being dragged into huts, but that isn't happening right now.

 

She moves to the island's center to find people on their knees, rambling thanks to the Sun and quietly rejoicing as their skin slowly turns from a translucent grey to a healthy, normal pigment.

 

Seungwan looks at the scene in amazement.  She never got the chance to look for a cure, but now she knows for sure that the virus only impacts certain people.  

 

She gets an idea.

 

"Excuse me," she lightly touches a woman and smiles at her.  Seungwan catches a splotch of grey disappear from the woman's left cheek.  "What is your last name?"

 

"Park."

 

"What's your last name?"

 

"Park."

 

"What bloodline are you from?"

 

"I'm of Park blood."

 

 _The virus is only linked to the Park's family_ bloodline.  No wonder a minority of people on the island aren't sick.  No wonder Seungwan never contracted the virus.

 

Seungwan stares at the ground.  The answer was right in front of her this whole time.  That means everyone will be all right.  This means she can go home.  This means she can see _Yoongi_ —

 

Seungwan runs to the only dock on the island later that day, just when the sun is at its highest in the sky.  She spots a man sitting on the boardwalk and she approaches him.  "Please, you have to get me to the Kingdom."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**PART VIII**

  _ **a few months later**_

 

Jungkook smiles as he watches the reunion of his friends, Sooyoung and Prince Taehyung.  He knows they have missed each other so much after being separated after Taehyung returned to the Kingdom.  Everything has gone back to normal and he's thankful his father decided to take him up on leading the Kingdom's army from the Kingdom's headquarters rather than the frontlines.

 

He looks around the ballroom as the crowd sinks into their own conversations, eating hors d'oeuvres as they enjoy the party thrown in the Prince's honor.

 

Jungkook spots avwaiter carrying glasses of wine and right as he reaches for a glass, slim fingers brush over his.  He quickly retracts his handbas he turns to see a woman shyly bowing to him.

 

"My apologies, Lieutenant General."

 

"Oh, um.  No, it's alright," Jungkook stammers.  He can't deny the woman is very pretty.

 

The Lieutenant General spots his father a few feet away from him, sending him a hard look that's telling Jungkook to continue talking to the girl. 

 

His father never fails to remind Jungkook that he wants his son to settle down.  Maybe Jungkook needs to start listening to his father for a change.

 

Jungkook holds out his hand in greeting before he takes the woman's hand in his, "I don't think we've met before, miss..."

 

"Kim Yeri.  I'm a distant cousin of Prince Taehyung," the woman gracefully supplies, her white pearls on a great display as she bobs a curtsy to him.  "I hear you saved the Kingdom during the war."  

 

"It wasn't all me," Jungkook lightly chuckles as he releases Yeri hand.  "I had the help of my fellow comrades." 

 

He can feel himself blushing, the heat under his collar gives it away.  Jungkook hates the way he easily falls subject to compliments, especially compliments from women.

 

"Humble and easy to rile up," Yeri playfully remarks, a sly grin creeping her lips.  "Surprising combination for a decorated soldier."

 

They stand there, fondly gazing at each other as the music begins playing from the corner of the room. 

 

 _It's either now or never, Jungkook_ , the soldier tells himself.

 

Jungkook holds out his hand for Yeri to take.  "Would you like to dance?"

 

"Of course."  Yeri with a bright smile before she slips her hand into his.

 

Yoongi sports a fatherly grin as his son and Yeri move to the middle of the ballroom.  He's glad to see his son finally taking his next step in life.

 

An officer then approaches him.  "General, we have two foreigners trying to enter the country at the docks.  We apprehended them, but one of them is asking for you specifically, sir."

 

Yoongi discreetly nods and follows the officer out of the Palace.  Torches light the way as they travel to the country's border.  Yoongi steps out of the horse-drawn carriage.  He stands before an elderly man and a woman on their knees, their heads hung low as their hands are tied behind their backs.  The guards have swords drawn towards them.

 

"They said they came from the island the Sevens come from," a guard informs Yoongi.  "They don't look infected with the virus but we tied them up as a precaution."

 

Yoongi nods, stepping forward as the woman lifts her head.  "S-Seungwan?" Yoongi stutters.

 

"Yoongi," Seungwan breathes, her eyes swimming with tears.  

 

Yoongi falls to his knees.  He cups Seungwan's face in his hands.  He can't believe she's here.  She's aged just like he has.  Wrinkles have started to take to her soft skin and she has a few grey hairs sprouting at her roots.  Seungwan looks like she's barely been taking care of herself.  Dirt clings to her and she's sporting a faded bruise in the shape of a large hand around her throat.

 

Yoongi blinks away the tears threatening to spill over before he speaks to the guards.  "Everyone stand down.  They are no threat to the Kingdom.  This is a doctor from the Kingdom, she went missing years ago.  Escort this man to a shelter.  Seungwan will come with me."

 

An hour later, Seungwan is bathed and clean and she sits on Yoongi's couch while Yoongi busies himself in the kitchen.  She never thought she'd be back here, in the living room she used to always visit before she left.  She smiles to herself when finds everything is the exact same.  She made a lot of good memories here in Yoongi and Jungkook's home.

 

Yoongi sits on the couch next to her and hands her a glass of water.  "Here.  Drink this."

 

"Thank you," Seungwan sips on the water before she places the glass on the coffee table.  She doesn't miss the way Yoongi eyes the large bruise on her neck.

 

"How are you," is the first thing Yoongi says and Seungwan's dam breaks.

 

"To be honest," she sniffs through her tears, "I feel horrible, Yoongi."

 

"Seungwan—"

 

"No, I feel horrible for how I left, Yoongi.  I should've told I was leaving before the meeting.  I shouldn't have been so cold to you before I left," Seungwan wipes at her nose with the sleeve of Yoongi's sleep shirt.  "I was treated very badly on the island, but nothing compares to the look on your face when I lied to you."

 

Yoongi leans forward.  Seungwan knows he's being hesitant to touch her, but she _needs_ him and she feels like she'll fall apart if he doesn't.

 

"What did you lie about?"

 

"I lied about my feelings for you," Seungwan tells him.  "Every night I regretted everything I said to you.  God, Yoongi, I was so  _scared_ and what I felt—what still feel for you was overwhelming.  I laid in my prison of hut promising myself I'd tell you how I felt about you if I ever got the chance to see you again."

 

Yoongi silently places a hand over hers and Seungwan grips it as she brings his hand to her lips and presses a chaste kiss over his knuckles.

 

"I...  I love you, Min Yoongi.  I always have.  A part of me was hoping I'd die on the island so you could move on, but another part of me just wanted you _so bad_ and I—"

 

"Say it again," Yoongi says, his eyes full of passion and fondness.  He takes her other hand in his and rubs his thumbs over the tops of her hands.

 

Seungwan knows exactly what he wants her to say.  "I love you."  She moves forward and her hands find his strong chest as Yoongi's hands slip up her arms before cradling her face.

 

Yoongi rests his forehead against hers.  "Say it again."

 

"I love you," Seungwan says like a promise as she softly bumps her nose with his.

 

Yoongi leans forward, their lips just millimeters apart as Yoongi brushes Seungwan's hair behind her ears.  One of his hands slowly moves to the nape of her neck.  "Say what you said after that, please," he almost begs.

 

"I want you."

 

Yoongi closes the distance between them, brushing his lips over Seungwan's to test the waters before he presses a kiss to her lips.  Seungwan's eyes flutter closed as she reciprocates Yoongi's kiss.

 

Yoongi slowly pries her mouth open and Seungwan can't but climb into his lap.  She wraps her arms around the back of his neck as Yoongi's find their way around her back.  She spreads her legs, fully straddling Yoongi he kisses her deeper.  Seungwan finds herself swaddled in Yoongi body heat.  They get lost in kissing each other, and it eventually turns desperate because they both are making up for lost time.

 

Yoongi's hands move to Seungwan's hips and then suddenly she's gone.  Yoongi opens his eyes and Seungwan is sitting on the couch again, her hands are tightly clenched together.

 

"Seungwan," Yoongi reaches for her.

 

"D-Don't touch me, please."

 

Yoongi retracts his hand, hurt by Seungwan's words.  "Wannie, I'm sorry—"

 

"No, it's not you," Seungwan shakes her head.  "It's...  It's me.  I'm not—I'm _dirty_ , Yoongi."

 

Yoongi's eyebrows furrow at that.

 

"Those men on the island, they did horrible things to me a-and the other women, too," Seungwan sniffs.  "I had three miscarriages," she manages to say after a few seconds of silence.  "When they realized I wasn't fertile they left me alone, but that didn't mean they'd stop beating me."

 

Yoongi almost wants to cry at Seungwan's words.  He's also angry.  He has half a mind to leave and kill the men that hurt her.   _She had to endure eighteen years of that._ "That doesn't make you dirty, Seungwan.  What they did to you isn't your fault.  They don't matter anymore. What matters now is how I want and love you."

 

Seungwan gathers the courage to meet Yoongi's eyes.  Yoongi reaches for her again and Seungwan doesn't hesitate to let Yoongi gather her into his arms.

 

He lets her cry into his chest as he places barely-there kisses into her hair.  Seungwan has been lonely all this time and Yoongi silently vows to stay by her side as long as the Sun will let him.

 

Yoongi will forever be grateful to the Sun for returning his first love back to him.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope enjoyed the second part of this series!
> 
> If you have time, you should check out the other story I'm currently writing [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15607419)!
> 
>  
> 
> As always, see you in the next story~


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